Crossing the Pond
by Kkristabell
Summary: Daniel's in London but what next?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Daniel knew about being in love. After all, he'd been married to, and lost, Molly. He had always believed that if he loved again the experience with Molly would provide him with a certain insight, an advantage in the whole love game. Unfortunately, it didn't help him worth a damn.

Loving Molly was a whirlwind, everything happened fast- - the loving and the losing. His newly realized feelings for Betty felt as though they were a part of his very being. He couldn't quite pin point when they had started. Months ago? A year or more? He'd already lost more than one night's sleep trying to answer that question. In the end he'd decided it didn't really matter. After all, _when_ was not half as important as what he planned to do about his feelings. Which left Daniel with only two things he was 100% sure of: 1) he was in love with his best-friend in a way that he had never felt with anyone else, and 2) that being in love with your best-friend was tricky business.

Sitting at the Dorchester Hotel bar in Mayfair, not far from Betty's flat, analyzing every nuance of their dinner conversation, left Daniel's head swirling. When their hands brushed on the table their eyes had caught for a brief moment, so quickly that, upon retrospect, Daniel felt as if he easily could have imagined it. As he was helping her into her coat he hadn't been able to resist letting his hands settle lightly on her shoulders. She'd shifted away from his touch, purposefully or simply because she was finished belting her coat? Then, as he helped her into a cab they shared a hug and he'd tried to reach for her hand as he told her he wanted to see her again soon… but both of her hands were gripping the strap of her bag. Did she know what he wanted? Was she afraid of him romantically or simply not interested.

With a groan Daniel ran a hand over his face. He wanted to know what was going on in her head. Tossing a few notes on the bar top to cover his drink, Daniel walked to the hotel lobby. Staring out the hotel's front doors he realize that maybe it was time to lay all his cards on the table, let the chips fall where they may and move on from there. Actually, there was no maybe about it. He needed to know if there was chance, even the slightest, that Betty could ever feel something more than friendship for him.

Daniel jogged outside to the curb where a taxi was just letting a young couple off. He smiled politely as the man held the taxi door open for him and slid in the back seat.

"Where to sir?" The driver turned and offered Daniel a toothy grin.

Daniel stiffly nodded, "6080 20 Hertford's #2, please."

"Ah, that isn't far at all, right around the corner it is- give or take. I'll have you there in a jiffy."

"Thank you," Daniel replied. He tried to breath and relax but his entire body felt as if an electrical current ran through it.

"Do you mind me asking sir, what has you so unwrapped?"

Daniel glanced up, "Unwrapped?"

The driver chuckled, "On this side of the pond it means nervous."

Daniel couldn't help but give a small smile. "I'm going to see someone and…talk about personal things and I'm not sure how it's going to go," he admitted.

The driver nodded sagely. "Woman troubles."

Daniel shifted uncomfortably in the back seat. "I didn't mention anything about a woman… or trouble."

"Son, there is only one thing in this world that can make a man from any country look like a cat on hot bricks and that is being in love. And you more than have the look."

The car turned and the driver slowed. "Well, here we are then."

Daniel paid the fare and stepped out the cab. He leaned in before closing the door. "Thank you."

"The best of British to you," the driver called out as Daniel closed the door. He watched the cab drive away and felt all his doubts come crashing down around him.

He stared at Betty's building trying to let the cool night air soothe him. Taking a deep breath he walked to the entrance. This was it, one way or another he needed to know if he had a chance with her. Daniel hoped to hell he did.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Betty eased onto the sofa with a sigh. She'd changed into jeans and a sweatshirt after a shower. Her hair was still damp. Restlessly, she reached for a magazine, thumbing through the first few pages before tossing it aside. She couldn't stop thinking about Daniel.

Dinner had been interesting. She'd filled him in with all the details of her new job and friends. They'd talked in depth about him leaving Mode. On the surface, it was just a normal dinner between friends, but there had been a subtext to the meal that made her nervous.

It was the way Daniel had looked at her throughout the evening. A heat in his gaze that made her stomach flutter. He'd helped her on with her coat and she'd felt his hands on her shoulders, burning through the material. She'd pulled away before she'd done something crazy, like turned into his embrace. She wasn't even sure where that urge had come from, it had just taken over. She'd known at that moment she needed to get out of there fast. She couldn't afford to let her riotous emotions cause her to do something foolish.

So now she was home, worrying the fringe on a sofa pillow while she pictured Daniel's face. Betty had always been aware of Daniel. He was handsome, no disputing that fact. She'd just never felt such a jolt simply looking at him from across the table before. He was in London, but Betty didn't want to think it was for the reasons Claire Meade had brought up at her farewell party. Because while she understood that she wasn't the same awkward girl she once was…

Disgusted with her train of thought, Betty stood up and wandered to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass out the cabinet next to the sink she filled it with water. She stared out the window over the sink, glass in hand. Deciding that since she was alone she might as well admit everything, Betty took a breath and spoke to her window reflected self.

"You're afraid. A part of you knows how easy it would be for you to succumb to what you saw in Daniel's eyes. He is smart, charming, generous, sweet, …and maybe you're a little bit intrigued by him romantically already- - he is, after all, everything you could want in a guy. But are you brave enough to go down this path? If you are, then you need to talk to him and find out why he's really in London."

Rolling her shoulders Betty took a sip of water and smiled. Daniel. She needed to speak to him. To find out the truth of why he came to London. A part of her hoped she knew the answer but she needed to hear it from him.

Grabbing her cell phone off the entry table she pressed Daniel's speed dial number and listened to it ring once, twice….

"Come on, pick up," she muttered impatiently.

A knock on the door stole her attention from counting the third and forth rings. Moving to look through the peep-hole she hung up the phone.

Swinging the door open Betty stared at Daniel. She opened her mouth to speak but Daniel broke the silence first.

"I wanted to see you." Daniel braced his hand on the door frame and leaned forward. "I know it's getting late but can we talk?"

"Of course." Betty gestured him inside. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"No thanks."

Betty locked the door and turned, believing Daniel had moved further inside. He hadn't. He stood merely inches from her and with no heels on she was forced to tilt her head back to look up at him. His eyes searched her face intently. Betty felt as though the air had been sucked out of the room. Nervously, she fiddled with the edge of her sweatshirt. Daniel wasn't moving.

Daniel couldn't seem to think straight. He'd come over with the best of intentions and now had to prevent himself from reaching out and hauling her into his arms. The effort was torture.

"Daniel?" Concerned, Betty reached up and placed a hand on his chest. "Daniel," she asked again. She was sure something had to be wrong. He was so still and his jaw looked as though it would crack from being clenched too tight.

Taking a step back Daniel offered her a smile. "I'm fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something." He gestured towards the sofa. "Mind if we sit?"

Perplexed Betty followed him to the sofa and sat next to him. "What's going on Daniel? Is everything alright, you look… tense."

Daniel tired to relax. He sat forward and rested his elbows on his thighs. "Everything is fine. I didn't mean to worry you… I just… have something on my mind. It's about London."

Betty felt her heart beat speed up. "London… you mean about why you're here in London?"

"Yes, and why I'm staying in London." He turned to face her. His eyes held the same intensity they had during dinner and once again Betty felt her stomach shift.

"So why is that?"

"I need to know how you feel. About me. About you and me… together. Betty, I didn't just come here to London to start over. In truth, I could have done that any place. I came to London because this is where you are. You left and I felt as if nothing mattered anymore. Like a piece of me was missing. I know I can make lots of mistakes and sometimes I can be selfish and an idiot but, I'm working on these things. I love you. And loving you has made me a better person- - just being around you has made me a better person. I wanted you to know how I feel and to find out if you think that there's a chance you could ever feel something for me too. Because I'll wait Betty. If you tell me there is a chance then I will spend everyday waiting for you and trying to make you happy."

Daniel stopped. Betty's eyes held the shimmer of tears. "I'm so sorry Betty. I never should have…"

Betty shook her head and tried to speak. She couldn't. Words were elusive. Daniel Meade who had dated supermodels and actresses, who had traveled all over the world loved her. She was too overwhelmed by happiness, love and excitement to speak.

Daniel started to apologize again and Betty did what in that moment seemed the most natural thing in the world. Shifting closer to him she reached out and pulled his coat lapels until his surprised face was just a whisper away from hers…


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Thank you all so much for the reviews, they are much appreciated! Enjoy the new installment, I hope it doesn't disappoint! Also, a few people asked about the places I reference in the fic- Yes! - they are all real. Feel free to Google them- even the address of Betty's apartment in Mayfair, London!_

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Daniel's blue eyes stared into hers, surprise quickly fading to need. The hand cupping his neck eased away as Betty nibbled her bottom lip in anticipation. The thought of his mouth on hers was enough to make her want to close the final distance between them, but a sudden shyness made her hesitate. It was less than a minute, but Betty could have sworn it was hours before Daniel spoke, "You don't know how many times I've thought about this."

Betty barely had time to absorb the words before he lowered his head. The second she felt his lips on hers there was heat and need and fiery sparks she could see with her eyes closed. Daniel brushed her lips lightly with his own. Passion rose. He wanted her. Holding onto his self control with ridged determination he kept the kiss easy, gently parting her lips with his own. As if on an exploration his tongue leisurely teased her bottom lip before sweeping in to flirt with her own… achingly…making each movement count. Betty was losing her mind. This was more than a kiss, she felt as though Daniel was branding her as his own.

As he started to ease back, Betty released a barely audible moan. The sound made Daniel's already tense muscles coil. Liquid brown eyes opened, gazing up at him with soft warmth and a plea.

"Daniel," she whispered. Reaching out she twined her fingers with his own. His pulse thundered. Easy, he reminded himself. Ineffectively, he tried to temper his breathing. He closed his eyes. She needed to stop looking at him like she wanted… like she _wanted_ him.

Daniel opened his eyes. "Betty, we should--"

"Daniel," she whispered. " I…maybe since always… Daniel… I've fallen in love with you." She glanced at him from beneath lowered lashes. She felt naked, as if Daniel could literally see her soul. And perhaps he could.

Restraint shattered. After weeks in limbo and endless hours on edge since he'd arrived in London, her words were a balm to the burn of uncertainty that had lived in his gut. Desperately he reached across the sofa and pulled her into his arms. She came willingly.

One hand tangled in her hair while the other pressed against her back, molding her to his chest. This time it wasn't delicate. This was hot and demanding. He kissed her as if he didn't have a choice. The intensity of his passion intoxicated her. Her mouth was fused to his, tongues dueling, straining towards each other as if neither could get close enough.

Daniel pulled back grasping Betty's shoulder. His eyes had darkened to cobalt. Swallowing hard he met her heated gaze.

"I should go- no--I need to go, _now_. There's so many things I still want to say but right now I'm..." His hot eyes raked over her from head to toe, "...distracted. It's late and I don't want to mess anything up."

Despite the fact that her whole body throbbed, Betty nodded. "I know, me neither. I have to work tomorrow- -You should go before…" Betty's gaze drew to Daniel's, the rest of the sentiment unspoken.

Daniel cleared his throat and fought for composure. It was damned difficult. "Right. So I'm... going. For now." He roughly ran a hand through his hair. "Walk me to the door before I change my mind," he joked- sort of.

Betty wasn't sure her legs would carry her but since she was certain Daniel would catch her if they gave way, she was willing to risk it. Hand in hand they ambled towards the door. Neither was in a hurry to say goodbye. Finally, they had no choice.

Daniel looked down at her as he pulled the door open. "I'll call you tomorrow, we can talk more then."

"Okay. I'll be off work tomorrow around 5:30 tomorrow if you want to do something."

"I definitely want," Daniel teased.

Betty blushed. "That's not what I meant!" Daniel's laugh echoed down the corridor.

Growing serious he lifted her hand, turning it palm up. Tenderly, he placed a kiss on her palm. "I love you."

Betty felt the kiss sear her palm. Brown eyes filled with emotion she stepped closer to him. "I love you too."

Daniel reached out and caught a strand of hair, winding it around his finger and slowly releasing. "Good night Betty Suarez."

"Night Daniel." She watched him take a step back, then another. Suddenly he released a pent up breath and came forward, placing a quick, hard kiss against her lips.

"Now I'm leaving," he promised. Turning he started to walk away.

"Are you sure this time?"

Daniel glanced at her over his shoulder. "Don't tempt me. Now go inside and lock the door. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Alright, until tomorrow," she sighed contentedly. With a last lingering look Betty closed the door.

Daniel waited until he heard the lock fall into place before continuing to the elevators. As the doors slid open Daniel could hear "Walking on Sunshine" being played from an apartment nearby. A split-second later he grinned, the apartment was Betty's.

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"Walking on Sunshine" Lyrics

I used to think maybe you love me, now baby I'm sure  
And I just cant wait till the day, when you knock on my door  
Now every time I go for the mail box, gotta hold myself down  
'cause I just cant wait till you write me, you're coming around

_[Chorus:]_

I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh)  
I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh)  
I'm walking on sunshine (whoa oh)  
And don't it feel good (HEY!) Alright now  
And don't it feel good (HEY!) Alright now  
All right now yeah! (HEY!)

I used to think maybe you love me, I know that it's true  
And I don't wanna spend all of my life just waiting for you (just waiting for you)  
Now I don't want you back for the weekend, not back for a day, no, no, no  
Baby I just want you back and I want you to stay


	4. Chapter 4

-Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Once again, thanks for all your wonderful comments! I had kind of a downer day today and logging into my email and seeing all your reviews made me smile ~ enjoy Chapter 4!_

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Betty stared at the blinking cursor. Today had been her first unproductive day since arriving at her new job. It wasn't that she'd had a sleepless night, although she had. It was more a restlessness inside. An urge to do something, but what she had no idea. Part of her wanted to call Hilda and squeal over the prior evening's events. Another part wanted to keep everything to herself, having Daniel as her little secret was kind of thrilling.

She glanced at her phone. The display clearly indicated it was 4:16 p.m. Daniel had yet to call. She knew she'd told him she didn't get off work 'til 5:30 p.m. but still… With a sigh she turned her attention back to the email she was supposed to be drafting.

_Buzz-Buzz. Buzz-Buzz. _Betty glanced down at her vibrating phone- new text- Daniel. Finally! Snapping her phone up she tapped the envelope icon.

_ Hi. I'm pretty sure Mode did a column once on the lamest things a guy can do after a 1__st__ date and that texting a girl for a 2__nd__ date rather than calling made that list. But since this guy is being super considerate of the girl's feelings by not wanting to disturb what he is sure is a busy work day, he hopes she'll over look his method and agree to an evening out with him anyway. The Aura Club, tonight?_

Wow, Betty thought, spinning slowly around in her chair. The Aura Club?! That was strictly members only. Celebrities and models frequented there as did the young elite of London. How had Daniel managed to- -Ruefully Betty smiled. He was Daniel Meade that's how. Betty slid the QWERTY part of her phone out.

_Let me check my schedule… looks like I'm free __J_

Lowering her cell as the message was confirmed sent, Betty grinned. She still couldn't believe that she was dating Daniel. Dating. The word seemed so ineffectual. Last night he'd shared that he loved her and she him. It seemed as though they should be more than dating. What that 'more' was she didn't know. A couple? But could you really be a couple after one date- regardless of your 'I love you' status? _Buzz-Buzz. Buzz-Buzz. _

_ Great- pick you up at 8?_

Betty frowned. Eight seemed kind of early for a club, although he had mentioned he wanted to talk some more. With a shrug she tapped the keys.

_ Ok, see you then._

Betty spun back around to her desk, 4:37 p.m. She glanced out the glass window of her office to the main floor of the magazine. Almost everyone was finishing things up in an effort to be out the door by five. After all, it was a Friday. Betty had spent almost every day since she arrived in London coming to work early, staying late and occupied with projects at home until past midnight. She loved every minute of her job. But tonight, she decided, tonight she would give herself a break and enjoy a real Friday night out.

Two hours later Betty stood freshly showered and wrapped in a fluffy robe warily eying the contents of her closet. Where had all her good clothes gone? She had been utterly certain on the taxi ride to her flat that she had plenty of outfit options for the evening. Obviously between then and now someone had broken into her place and stolen half her wardrobe. She had never missed Hilda more.

Grumbling, Betty began to pull dresses out. Nothing was right. Everything was too 'something'. Too boring, too dark, too bright, too casual, too dressy- the list went on. Eventually everything she owned was either on the bed, chair or floor. Except for one garment. Her 'welcome-to-London-you really-did-it-and-I-miss-home' dress. It had been a splurge on her first weekend in London.

Betty hadn't really meant to buy the dress. She'd seen it in the window of Harrods and loved the way it looked. She'd gone inside to finger the material and been convinced by a sales woman to try it on. The dress had fit perfectly and the woman assured her that every girl needed a dress like it in her wardrobe. Betty had doubted that possibility for herself but bought the dress anyway. She'd decided it would be like a piece of art in her closet, she'd never actually wear it anywhere. Now she eyed the cream braided strap dress speculatively. What the heck.

Slipping into the dress she faced the mirror. Four thin braided straps on each shoulder gave way to a deep scoop neck. Tiny gathers along the neckline led to draped sides. The dress became form fitting towards the bottom, ending with a tapered hem that clung a few inches above her knee. The dress was modest by most standards but definitely different than her usual attire.

Betty focused on the mirror. The cream color brought out a richness in her skin tone and made a stunning backdrop to her dark hair. Smiling slowly she twirled around.

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o

Twelve miles away Daniel stood on the balcony of the Audley Suite appreciating the view of St. Paul's dome. Dressed in a navy sateen dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar and deep heather gray dress pants he exuded confident sensuality.

Releasing a pent up breath he checked his Rolex. In a few minutes he'd leave for Betty's. Oddly, he was more nervous now than the previous evening. Perhaps because last night had been about revelations, tonight was about beginnings.

Reaching into his pocket he fingered a small velvet box. He'd thought all day about what he could give Betty. He'd searched countless boutiques and left harried shop keepers in his wake. He'd wanted something unique, something beautiful, something perfect. Something that was Betty.

Heading inside, Daniel grabbed his coat and key-card off the credenza. The box weighted his pocket. Uncertainly, he reached for a pale blue, square container still on the table. He eased it open and stared wistfully at the contents. Closing the lid he put the container back. With a smile playing across his lips, he left for Betty's.

Tonight was for beginnings, after that they'd see.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: The first Wed. night without Betty is going to be a tough one... hopefully this new chapter will help- or not ;). As always thank you so much for taking a moment to share you're enjoyment reading the fic- it makes writing it that much more fun!_ _Just as an fyi, I have a suspicion that readers are going to either love or hate this chapter- I'm not sure there will be too much middle ground-lol!_

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Two minutes 'til eight Daniel rapped on Betty's door. It swung open so quickly that Daniel almost wondered if she'd been waiting on the other side. With purely male appreciation he took in Betty's form-fitting dress, beige heels that made her legs seem endless, and turquoise jewelry. Her hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders, chocolate strands against an ivory backdrop. She looked fresh and amazing.

"Hey," she offered awkwardly, his perusal making her just a bit self-conscious.

"Hi, you look fabulous," he replied. Stepping forward he pressed a quick kiss to her cheek. "Are you ready?"

Betty enjoyed the spicy undertones of his cologne as he passed by into the foyer. "Sure. We can leave whenever you like."

"Great." Slipping her coat off its hook he held it out for her. Betty let gaze peruse Daniel before he could notice, he looked incredible.

Picking up her keys they headed out, pausing a moment while she locked the door. Down the hall the elevator doors slid free and a petite blond stepped out.

"Betty," she called with a wave. "How are you settling in?"

Betty smiled in welcome. "Grace, hi. Good, thanks. How have you been? Oh, this is Daniel. Daniel this is my neighbor, Grace."

Daniel held out a hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet a friend of Betty's here in London."

"Nice meeting you too." Grace leaned into Betty and in a mock whisper teased, "I'm going to make you spill all the details of this super-cute boyfriend of yours later! Starting with, does he have any brothers?" Daniel smiled.

"Yes, he does, but he's not my boyfriend," Betty laughed. Daniel's smile vanished. Betty glanced at him uneasily.

Oblivious to the awkwardness, Grace waved off her error. "Sorry. Leave it to me to put my foot in my mouth! I didn't mean to assume anything." Grace rolled her eyes. "My mother always told me not to assume, it 'just makes an ass out of you 'u' and 'me'. I hate it when she's right."

Daniel cupped Betty's elbow and stepped forward. "We were actually on our way out and I don't want us to miss our reservation, but it was great meeting you Grace," he offered.

"Right, didn't mean to hold you up! Have a great time!" Without waiting for a reply from Betty, Grace headed for her apartment.

Once Grace was inside Daniel dropped Betty's elbow and strode towards the elevator. Betty followed. They stood in silence. Betty opened her mouth to speak just as the car arrived. Placing his hand over the door to make sure it didn't close, Daniel ushered Betty inside.

Betty sighed, "Daniel, I didn't mean anything by what I said. It just popped out and I-"

"Betty," he interjected as the elevator reached the lobby and they disembarked. "Relax. It caught me by surprise, sure. But after...I was just thinking about what you said that's all."

"Oh. Next time can you think a little louder please, just so I know you're not upset?"

"I'll work on it," he joked as they moved to the side of the lobby to allow a family to pass by. "After all, being in a relationship is a big adjustment for us," he added seriously.

Relief shown in Betty's eyes. "Exactly! I'm glad you're on the same page. A relationship is a huge change, we should just let things evolve naturally, see what happens, not label everything right away."

Daniel forced a nod of acknowledgment. They might have been on the same page but he was fairly certain they weren't reading the same book. He'd only meant that it was going to take time to get used to referring to each other significant others rather than friends. As far as he was concerned they were a couple.

"Evolve," Daniel echoed.

"Yes," Betty replied cautiously. Something warned her to tread carefully.

Daniel slid his hands into his pockets. "I thought things had evolved last night."

Betty's brow furrowed. "Daniel, last night was amazing and intense but... it wasn't real."

"I was there and it felt pretty real to me," he countered.

"I don't mean that it wasn't physically real or emotionally..." She took a deep breath. "It was a fairytale. You show up in London and tell me you love me and... it was perfect. But Daniel you've only been here two days. You might have come here because of me but I also believe you meant it when you spoke of wanting to start over and achieve something for yourself."

"Of course I meant it. I guess I just assumed that after last night you wanted the same thing between us as I did."

"To get to know you on a new level, yes. To explore the feelings I have for you, definitely. But to jump right in to being together as a couple- with all the wonderful, messy, amazing, complicated things that entails- Daniel, did you really think that would happen?"

He had no clue what to say. Sure, he knew she wanted him to agree with her that the idea was a bit absurd, but that was precisely what he'd expected. He was in love with her. Did she not understand that? He _wanted_ all the wonderful, messy, amazing and complicated parts of being a couple and he wanted them with her. So now what, he thought, tell the truth, lie?

Daniel ran a hand across his jaw. "Maybe that is what I thought. I've had the idea of us together in my head for weeks. Most likely t was selfish of me to come over here and charge into your life like I did- - full of expectations. I just didn't want to miss a chance, maybe my only chance, to tell you how I felt."

Shifting forward Betty reached out and brushed Daniel's fingers with her own until he looked down at her.

"Daniel, you've had weeks to process all this. I've had just shy of 48 hours. I need a chance to catch up. Everything is so new right now. My job, this country, my feelings for you. I want you here, but I have to have an opportunity to figure out _my_ place in all of this before I can find a place for us," she finished softly.

Sliding his fingers between hers Daniel closed his eyes for a moment. He was ready to commit. She needed time. He loved her enough to give her all the time in the world.

"Then tonight we start fresh. No expectations, just the beginning of a new chapter."

Her smile was brilliant. "Then this new beginning calls for a toast. Let's go!" She tugged him towards the door where a Town Car waited outside.

As they climbed inside, Daniel's hand strayed to his pocket and Betty's gift. Another time and place he thought ruefully... another time and place.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: I'm glad so many of you appreciated the previous chapter! I was nervous I would receive pseudo hate mail- lol. However, I firmly believe that anticipation makes the final pay off a million times more rewarding. So onto the next chapter we go- exploring and embracing an array of emotions- Enjoy!_

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Nestled discreetly on St. James Street, Aura Mayfair was designed to impress. The purple décor was relaxed not royal. Curved back booths covered with quilted stitching made cozy spots to converse. Chandeliers dripped vertical tiers of icicles. Opaque lilac glass ran the length of the far wall with up-lighting transitioning its hues from dark to light. Polished oak tables and champagne flutes reflected the dancing light of votive candles. The atmosphere exuded sophistication, status and sensuality.

Daniel escorted Betty to a table. Barely were they seated when a cocktail server appeared to fetch their drinks. Daniel nodded to Betty. "What would you like?"

"I'm not sure," she admitted. "I've never been here before."

" 'Raspberries are Red' is one of their signature drinks. I think it is Raspberry puree, Lychee puree, Grey Goose vodka and…," Daniel glanced at the cocktail server. "Blueberries to garnish," she supplied.

"That sounds delicious! I'll try that," Betty decided. The server smiled, "Excellent choice. And for you sir?"

"Scotch, neat. Kinclaith if you have it."

Betty sat back giving Daniel an owlish look. "What," he asked glancing down at his shirt. "It's too soon for me to have spilled something." Betty shook her head in disbelief. "How is it that you have been here for less than a week and already have membership to the most exclusive club in London and know about their signature drink? I've heard people talk about being on the wait list for months to get into this place!"

"Oh, that." Daniel shrugged modestly. "Tony Fernandez- you know the British airline mogul? He's one of the owners. He and my mom have known each other for years. Anyway, he heard I was in London and offered for me to stop by anytime. Told me he'd put my name on the list. As for the drink," he paused as their cocktails were delivered. "I overheard two women talking in the Dorchester lobby about how excellent the 'Raspberries are Red' were here. Nothing too exciting I'm afraid." He swirled his Scotch before sipping. "Any good," he asked as Betty followed suit with her own drink.

She sighed in appreciation. "This is amazing. You can't even taste the alcohol!" Daniel chuckled, "Ah, the most dangerous kinds of drinks taste nothing like drinks."

Daniel leaned forward resting his forearms on the table, his drink nestled between his palms. "Just let me know if you want anything else," he offered. She smiled. "Thanks, I'm good for now."

The table quieted as they sipped in companionable silence, observing the ebb and flow of people around them. Betty felt a level of comfort she'd always known with Daniel but she also felt more. The _more_ skittered across her skin. Telling Daniel she needed time hadn't been a lie. She'd just left out telling him that this Daniel, romantic in-love-with-her-Daniel, left her trembling with confusion, desire, love, uncertainty and a touch of resentment. Because while he might love her, he'd also walked away from her. He'd left her standing in an airport terminal, glancing up when she heard a man's voice hoping it was him. She'd slept with her phone under her pillow that first night wishing he would call, wanting things to be right between them again. She had asked herself over and over how he could have not said good-bye…and yet when he looked at her she could almost forgive and forget… except for the little voice in her head that warned while Daniel might make her feel as though she was on cloud 9, would she be able to survive the fall if he walked away again?

"A sixpence for your thoughts," Daniel teased. "You seem a million miles away. Everything alright?" Betty shook off her musings. "Everything's fine. A 'sixpence' huh? Look at you becoming all British!"

Daniel saluted her with his glass. "I figure since I'm going to be calling London home I might as well embrace the lingo." Betty giggled. "Lingo? Daniel it's the name of a British coin. Now when you start using the words 'loo', 'mobile' and 'frock' I will be suitably impressed!" She hesitated a moment sipping her drink. "So you really are planning on staying?"

"I told you the other day I wanted to start over." Daniel looked at her intently. "Why? Did you not believe me?" Betty's eyes widened. "Of course I believe that you want to start over… I just meant here, staying--here--in London." Daniel's expression was puzzled. "Didn't we have this conversation back at your building?"

Betty hated that she was making a mess out of things. "Yes, we did. I just… I mean you haven't mentioned any definitive plans or anything, that's all." Relieved Daniel smiled, "If that's all it is then I am more than happy to fill you in." Surprised, she bit her bottom lip. "You have plans already?" Daniel nodded. "I was going to wait a few days to tell you, but I was offered a job as a photo-editor at i-D magazine."

"i-D magazine? Daniel, that's amazing! How- when- you haven't even been here that long?" Betty bounced with excitement. "It happened earlier this afternoon. I'd poked around and made a few calls this morning. Nothing serious, just putting some feelers out to see who was hiring. Somehow Terry Jones the editor-in-chief at i-D heard my name. When I got back to the hotel this afternoon there was a message asking me to call him. We talked about what I was looking for and he actually had a position that seems pretty perfect for me. The photo-editor title is kind of misleading. I'll basically be a gofer between photographers, writers, editors and so forth, making sure that everyone gets what they need communicated between the various parties, but I'll also be able to do some hands on shooting. It's definitely starting out in a different place than I'm used to, but at least this time when and if I get to the top I know it'll be because I earned it, like you did."

Betty was speechless. It lasted approximately three seconds before she launched herself at him. "Daniel, that is just incredible. Photo editor!? It's a perfect position for you! And you'll be working with Terry Jones; he's the former Vogue art director- - not to mention that i-D celebrated their 300th publication last July and is one of the most respected magazines in Europe, they pioneered 'the straight up'!" Amused, Daniel hugged her back. "I know! Plus, it's not far from Mayfair, about a 20 minute commute."

Betty scooted back, aware she still sat loosely within the circle of his arms. "20 minutes with or without traffic," she asked reaching for her drink. "With. I decided that after years of New York City traffic the next place I called home needed a shorter commute. The houses and duplexes in Mayfair are an ideal distance." Betty almost choked. "Houses? You've looked at houses?"

"I can't stay in a hotel forever- no matter how nice it is. Maybe a house is a bit drastic but I checked the paper and there were a few duplexes and condos that I liked. I'm supposed to go check them out on Sunday. I'd love it if you'd come with me and give me your thoughts," he added. Daniel held his breath. He wasn't trying to push his luck, after all he'd noticed her withdrawal from his arms a moment ago, but he did respect her opinion and hoped she'd agree to accompany him.

Betty watched a blueberry swirl in her glass. Permanence. Daniel was making London permanent. "He's really staying," she whispered unintentionally aloud. "What?" Daniel leaned in, "I couldn't hear you." She laid her fingers against his wrist shaking her head. "Nothing. I said that I'd go on Sunday. I think it will be fun!" Pleased, Daniel slid his wrist back until he gently held her hand. "Great, I'm sure I could use the help."

Betty blushed and blamed the non-alcoholic flavored cocktail. Simple hand holding should not make a girl blush. He glanced across the room to the dance floor and back at Betty, "You up for it?"

"Sure," she agreed. Daniel slid from his chair. Betty rose and turned to make certain her purse was secure. At the same time Daniel leaned in to allow a server carrying a large drink tray to pass by. Betty spun back smacking full bodily into him before he could retreat. He reached out to steady her. "Sorry about that. I didn't mean to trip you, just trying to get out of the way."

"It's fine," she replied rubbing where she had smacked into Daniel's leg. "Are you sure you're okay," he asked.

"Positive. Although, what exactly do you have in your pocket that feels like a brick? That stung!" Daniel's face comically froze. The box, he'd forgotten it in his pocket. He should have placed it in his coat when he'd checked it. Damn, now what? "It's nothing," he hastily replied. Reaching for her arm he gave a gentle tug towards the dance floor. Betty didn't budge, just watched him expectantly.

"You wouldn't be willing to just let this go and not ask any further questions would you," Daniel asked curiously. Betty smiled mischievously. "Nope, now my interest is piqued. Plus, the fact that you obviously don't want to tell me what it is makes it all the more intriguing."

Slowly Daniel reached into his pocket and removed the "brick". Betty stared at it, then back at Daniel. He offered it out to her. "I wanted to give you something special. If you like, consider it an apology gift for letting you leave with the way things were between us. I know I apologized the other day but it was a really unkind thing to do. No matter what I was thinking or feeling I still should have said good-bye."

Betty reached out. "Daniel, I don't know what to say," she began. He held up a hand to stop her. "How about nothing right now, at least not until you open it and make sure you like what's inside." Gently, Betty lifted the lid. A mist of tears blurred her vision. She forced them away. She couldn't stare at her gift with teary eyes. She traced the gold with her forefinger, running it over the script letter, fleetingly caressing the tiny stones. "Daniel it's beautiful."

"I remembered when we were cleaning out Molly's things you referred to the necklace your mom gave you. You said that even though it wasn't expensive and the pearls weren't real you loved it because it was a gift from her." Daniel swallowed hard. "I noticed since I arrived in London you didn't have the necklace on. I figured that if your mom was here to see all that you've accomplished, she probably would have given you a new necklace to symbolize how much you've grown and how far you've come. This isn't from her, but the sentiment behind it is still the same."

Stretching up she shyly brushed her lips across Daniel's. "Thank you. Thank you so much-- not just for the necklace but for the words too." She held out the jewelry case. "Will you put it on me?"

He carefully untangled the chain from the box, "My pleasure." Betty turned and lifted her hair. He slipped the necklace around and fastened the small clasp. Facing him she asked, "How's it look?" The gold, scripted 'B' lay against her collarbone. The tiny Alexandrite stones that followed the curves of the letter showed reddish-purple. Betty glanced down and looked up startled. "Daniel, I think the stones just changed color," she exclaimed. He pushed her hair off her shoulder. "It looks great and they did. Alexandrite stones. They tend to have an emerald cast in direct sunlight, a violet-red hue in low light, gray and some other shades in there as well. When I saw it I knew it was yours. You've changed so much since I first met you but, like the Alexandrite stones, no matter how you change you're still beautiful."

Notes from a slow song wafted towards them from the dance floor. "Daniel," she murmured completely overcome. "I think I'd like that dance now..."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: Nada, zip- I own nothing!

_A/N: Every author has a special attachment to their writing. Perhaps with this fic even more so because I'm describing how I wish things had ended for our couple. Such a connection can make an author (at least this one!- lol) feel more vulnerable about sharing their vision. Yet each day I am humbled, surprised and happy to open my email and see all your kind words. So here's a 'Raspberries are Red' toast to all the readers- while I may write the story, you take the time to read it, embrace it and share your appreciation. Thank you! _

_P.S.~ To all of those who PM'd me, yes- all the drinks, people, places and their backgrounds from the last chapter are real- __even__ the commute time from Mayfair to i-D magazine!_

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_

Saturday morning dawned crisp and clean- blue skies, no clouds and a flood of sunlight that filled Betty's room. She awoke slowly with a yawn, burrowing deeper into the covers before she remembered. Bolting up she grabbed her glasses and tilted up the necklace. Green. The stones showed green in the bright sun just as Daniel had said. Happily she flopped back, reminiscing about the prior evening.

After dancing, a few more drinks and additional dancing, they'd left Aura Mayfair and headed back to Betty's. Daniel had escorted her up to her apartment but, before Betty could ask if he wanted to come in, he'd given her a butterfly whisper of a kiss, told her he'd call her tomorrow and bid her good-night. Frustratingly, he'd been the perfect gentleman. Not that she had wanted him to ravish her in the hallway or anything like that, but she had hoped for a real kiss goodnight. Oh well Suarez, she told herself, you told him to take it slow. Grinning she sat up on her elbows, anticipation just meant that the next kiss would be that much more incredible.

Rolling off the bed she reached for a sweatshirt, yanking it over her head. She was halfway out the room when her cell rang. Gobbling it up from the night table she frowned. "Hilda? What's wrong? Why are you calling so early?"

"Hey, Betty! Nothing's wrong, I was just calling to chat. I thought it was like 8:30 a.m. over there, right?" Betty shook her head to clear the confusion. It didn't work. "Yeah, it is. But Hilda that means it's 3:30 a.m. in New York- why are you awake?" A labored sigh filtered down the line. " 'Cause last night me and Bobby were watching t.v. and he wanted to watch a movie- that crazy one where the whacko locks those guys in a bathroom and tells them they need to play his game to escape and the one guy ends up sawing off his foot to escape and the whole time they're being watching on camera because if the one guy doesn't kill the other guy by six o'clock his family's gonna be murdered--," she paused for a breath. "Bobby loved it but I think I'm gonna be scared forever, and since I couldn't sleep I decided to call you."

"Okay, wow. So how are things other than the horror movie insomnia," Betty asked. She moved into the kitchen tucking the phone between her shoulder and chin as she grabbed orange juice from the fridge. "Good, good, but I want to hear about you! Distract me with stories about London. Did you meet any cute guys? Oh!- and what about Daniel, did he ever call you or anything?"

Betty slowly reached for a glass and unscrewed the juice cap. "Cute guys? Just one," she replied. "As for Daniel, he did something alright." Hilda pounced. "Really what did he do? Send flowers? He should have after not saying goodbye- - and what about that cute guy? What's his name? Is he hot?"

"No, not flowers. And the hot guy's name is Daniel," Betty answered trying not to laugh. "Daniel, huh? Weird. I guess it's a common enough name. So he's hot?!- tell me what he looks like," Hilda enthused. Betty's cheeks hurt from smiling. She knew she should just tell Hilda but this was so much more fun. "Actually you've seen him before, talked with him before, danced with him at your wedding…" Betty trailed off, waiting for Hilda to connect the dots.

"Wait, the guy in London was at my wedding? Betty, that doesn't make any sense. There were absolutely no British people at my reception- I think I would've remembered some new guy with an accent showing up with you. Besides you were there with Daniel as your escort so- - - -," Hilda stopped dead. "Ohmygod, ohmygod…Betty- - Daniel? OH MY GOD IT'S _THAT_ DANIEL!!!" Betty held the phone away from her ear. Temporary deafness was not on the list of things she wanted to experience during her lifetime, even if it was for a good reason.

Laughingly Betty tried to speak over Hilda's squeals. "Yes, that Daniel. He-" Hilda cut her off. "How did this happen? I mean he was in New York, right? Did he just show up? That is so sweet!"

"He flew to London to apologize, asked me out to dinner and then," she paused remembering the moment. "And then? And then? Agh, what? Tell me," Hilda demanded.

"We talked and he told me he has feelings for me. That he loves me and-"

"NO, he didn't! He flew across and ocean to tell you he loves you! I always knew there was something between you two; you just seemed so right together. Even as friends there was a connection. So what now? I mean a relationship on one continent is hard enough but please, on two continents? What did you say back? Does anyone else know?"

"Whoa, Hilda, slow down," Betty pleaded. "First the whole continent thing won't be an issue. He resigned as editor-in-chief at Mode. He said he wanted to achieve something for himself here, in London. To start over." She waited until Hilda's extended 'awww' ended before continuing. "He has an entry level position at a magazine here in London and tomorrow we're going to look at some condos for him. He's making London home."

Hilda sniffled. "This is so romantic! It's like a Humphrey Bogart movie! I'm so happy for you! Daniel is a great guy and you totally deserve someone like him. But you never answered what you said back?"

"I… uh," Betty twirled a strand of hair around her finger. "I told him that I had feelings for him too but that I needed some time to adjust to everything and wanted to take things slow." Her sister was quiet on the end of the line. "So does that mean you haven't hooked up yet?"

"Hilda" Betty exclaimed as she burst into giggles.

"What? Inquiring minds want to know!" Her sister sighed. "Fine, then at least tell me this- is he a good kisser?" Betty glanced out at the sofa in the living room thinking of the kisses shared. "He's an a-m-a-z-i-n-g kisser!"

"Melt your bones amazing or fireworks amazing?"

"Both."

"Wow."

"I know."

Hilda yawned. "I am _so_ going to require more details later. But right now all this excitement is making me wired and tired at the same time."

"Go, try and get some sleep. I'll call you later," Betty offered.

"Fine. But if anything else happens you need to text me right away. I mean it," Hilda ordered.

Betty poured herself a glass of juice, finally placing the lid back on the container. "Deal. I miss you and love you and say 'hi' to everyone for me."

"I will. Love to you too and we'll talk soon! Bye!"

"Bye," Betty echoed, missing her sister. She wished they could have stayed up all night together talking about Daniel and Bobby, like a grown-up slumber party.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Daniel entered his room, reaching above his head to stretch after his workout. Heading to the dresser he grabbed a clean shirt, sweater and jeans before aiming for the shower. Idly he glanced at the coffee table where his phone blinked with a missed call. He tapped the screen. 'Mom' appeared across the display with a date and time from the prior night. Daniel winced as he redialed the number. He probably should have called her when he'd arrived in London…

"Hello?" A slightly rough female voice answered.

"Mom, hey! I know you called last night and I didn't get a chance to call you back-"

Claire interrupted, "Daniel."

"Yes?"

"Do you know what time it is?"

Holding the phone away from his ear Daniel checked the display. "It's 9:00 a.m."

Claire indulgently groaned. "Yes, it's 9:00 a.m.- in London- not New York. Here it's four in the morning."

"Oh crap, Mom, I'm sorry. I totally forgot about the time difference!" Daniel slapped a palm against his forehead. "Really sorry! I'll call you back later."

"No, no it's fine. I'm awake now," Claire soothed. Daniel wasn't sold. "Are you sure?"

"Don't think for a minute that you're going to wake me up at 4:00 a.m. and then not tell me how things are going in London. How's Betty?"

Daniel dropped onto the sofa. "Good. Things are good." Claire waited for Daniel to continue. She knew her son well enough to sense that 'good' had layers. "I took a chance and I asked her out to dinner. Later I went over her place because I needed to tell her how I felt. I told her that I love her and she reciprocated- for the most part. Then yesterday when I went to pick her up…"

"Then," Claire prompted. He sighed. "Then she told me that everything was too new and too fast and that she wanted things to take things slow. To not put labels on them. I think she used the phrase 'evolve naturally'. Claire had to bite her tongue not to laugh at the annoyed emphasis Daniel placed on 'evolve naturally'. "So what was your response to Betty wanting to take things slow," she asked.

Daniel shrugged. "If she needs time I'm going to give it to her. I agreed. I'm not going to push her into wanting to be with me."

Ahhh… there it was Claire thought. "And it hurts that she wasn't ready to commit doesn't it?"

"No. I understand that this is all sudden for her and that while I've had time to process it she hasn't. It makes sense."

"It does make sense. But that's not what I asked," Claire replied. Daniel let out a rough breath. "Fine. Maybe it… stings a little." He shifted uncomfortably against the cushions. "I don't know Mom, I just had this fantasy that I would show up we would be together. Don't say it, I know it sounds stupid."

Claire chuckled. "It doesn't sound stupid at all because that's who you are. Daniel, sweetheart, you've always been the boy who charges ahead. You leap before you look and deal with the consequences as they come. You're impetuous. Betty's not. She's thoughtful and reflective. It's why the two of you work so well together. You encourage her to take risks and she keeps you grounded."

"I know. I just wish I knew when we were going to reach the same plane. I would do anything in the world to make her happy Mom, I would, but holding back is a struggle."

"Because you're afraid of losing her," Claire asked. Daniel glared at the phone. "How do you do that," he muttered.

"Do what?"

Daniel waved a hand in the air. "Just see through everything I say or do."

"It's called being a mother, they give you a course in telekinetic communications with you child as part of Lamaze class," she teased. "Now, why are you afraid of losing her?"

Disgustedly Daniel stood and paced. "Really? You have to ask? Mom, I'm not exactly free from screw-ups and mistakes in my past. You yourself just said that Betty's thoughtful and cautious. What if she decides I'm a bad risk? That I could break her heart? Or worse what if she decides she could do better?" Claire wanted to hug Daniel but also enjoyed seeing him so rattled. She wondered if that made her a poor parent…

"What if you get hit by one of those double-decker buses tomorrow," Claire demanded.

"Huh?" He glanced at the phone; did he just hear that right?

"There are no guarantees in life and you know it. Daniel, I love you. I know some parents say that because it's required but I actually mean it. Because I love you I'm going to tell you that all of those possibilities could happen. Betty might decide she only wants you as a friend because she's afraid you will break her heart and perhaps, if you manage to do something more stupid than anything you've done in the past- because let's face it Daniel, she already knows about all of those things and seems to like you regardless- she could decide you're not good enough for her. Things happen, life happens."

"Thanks for the parental prediction of misery," Daniel replied bewildered.

Ignoring him Claire continued, "But here's what I don't understand- you're entire life you've managed to circumnavigate the rules. When you were a child you managed to find a way around every house rule I made without actually breaking it. It was maddening beyond belief. Here, it could work to your advantage."

He stopped pacing to lean against a window. "I don't see how. It's not like there are any rules here. We're figuring this out as we go along."

"Stop thinking so literally. I'll explain it and then I'm going to try and catch a few more hours sleep. Betty said she wanted to take it slow. Pretend this is the rule. You need to figure out how to sweep her of her feet while still respecting her wishes, in other words-"

Daniel smiled finishing her sentence, "…circumnavigate the rule. That won't be easy."

"I never said it would be. Just remember that in this case, the journey is just as important as the destination, for both of you." Claire's voice softened. "I love you, Daniel. Take care and call me soon- although preferably not at four in the morning."

"Love you too, I promise I'll call." Daniel paused. "And mom?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

Picking up his clothes Daniel went to run the shower. His mother's advice was sound, at least he hoped it was since he planned on taking it. He decided last night had been a solid first step. All he needed was to figure out where to go from here...


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: There is nothing better to do on a cool, foggy Sunday than curl up with a vanilla white chocolate mocha and write. _

The late morning sun found Daniel showered, dressed and sprawled in his suite's black, leather executive chair. A sea of papers littered the desktop while a Sony Vaio SC X series laptop rested precariously on the desk's edge. A messenger had delivered some negatives and a mock-up of i-D magazine's June issue. His new boss' note read that he needed Daniel familiar and up to speed with all the details before Monday's cover shoot.

Only thirty minutes into his review Daniel was engrossed. He made notes during his inspection, flipping back and forth between pages and negatives. He referenced the cover article's contents, with editor comments in the mock-up and the art director's analysis in a three part venn diagram. His goal, and his job, was to find pieces of each department's vision that overlapped, making sure the agreeing ideas were what would be conveyed by the photographer during Monday's shoot.

His phone rang. Staring at the piles of documents, Daniel zeroed in on the sound and pounced. Triumphantly uncovering his cell he answered. "Hello?"

"Daniel, hi! I just wanted to call to thank you again for the necklace. I can't stop checking the mirror to see what the color the stones are," Betty said.

"Hi, yourself. I'm glad you like it. Sorry I hadn't had a chance to call. i-D sent over some things I need to have under my belt before I start Monday and I was working on my evaluation." Daniel reached for a lighted magnifier, scrutinizing a negative.

"That's great! They're putting you to work already! Don't worry about not calling; trust me I know how crazy starting a new job is. I actually have some things I need to handle before Monday too." Getting no reply from Daniel she added, "Since we both have work to do I guess this means I'll just see you tomorrow?"

Daniel muffled a curse as a pile of safety-sheet protected negatives landed on the floor. "Sure, want to meet for brunch before here at the hotel? Say 11:00 a.m.?"

"Okay, eleven sounds great. I'll see you then."

"Yeah- I'll see you then," he answered distractedly. Betty started to ask if he wanted to get together before then but thought better. Daniel was obviously preoccupied with prepping for his shoot. She was really glad he'd found something he was excited about. She didn't know why she felt so disappointed. After all, it was only one day without seeing each other. "Okay, bye -"

Daniel leaned back in his chair. "You could come over for a study date," he interrupted. Tossing the negatives on the desk he rubbed his eyes. He needed a break or else he'd be blind well in advance of Monday.

"A study date?"

"Yeah. We both have work to do. You can bring your stuff over, we can work together. Take a couple breaks to grab lunch and coffee… What do you say?"

"I say, Hilda had plenty of "study-dates" back in high school and I distinctly remember that almost no studying really happened, and she always came home smelling of cologne without her hair in the ponytail she left with," Betty quipped. As soon as she realized what she'd implied her hand tightened on the phone. A slow heat spread across her cheeks. Oh god. "Uh- not that you were planning on…that came out wrong- I…"

Daniel's sides hurt trying not to laugh. "No, I get what you meant," he gasped. "And if you think," he trailed off coughing, and cleared his throat. "If you think…"

"Are you okay," Betty asked. He sounded as though he was having problems breathing. "Do you need a drink or something -" She broke off at a familiar sound. "Daniel," she questioned pseudo-sweetly. "Are you laughing at me?!" The dam broke. He couldn't help it. "I'm sorry. It's just that I have this great image of your sister sneaking back in the house all mussed and then you got all flustered trying to explain," he tried to catch his breath. Betty grumbled, "Fine, enjoy my complete embarrassment." Her lips twitched as Daniel continued to chuckle. "Would you stop," she demanded weakly, unable to keep the amusement out of her voice. Finally she succumbed. Her giggle floated across the line.

"Just for that, I'm not coming over," she informed him.

"Why? I can assure you that I have work to do and I'm not even wearing cologne. As for the ponytail issue… just don't wear one and it won't be a problem," he bantered.

Betty rolled her eyes. "Daniel!"

"Alright, alright, if you want to wear a ponytail that's your decision," he conceded.

"I'm hanging up now."

"But you're coming over, right?"

She paused before answering, "Be there in twenty."

Exactly nineteen minutes later Betty knocked on the door to Daniel's suite. He let her in as he finished up a call and disconnected. "I was just confirming the details of the shoot with the photographer," he explained. "Come on in. Feel free to dump your stuff anywhere."

She moved inside dropping her bag and files on the sofa. "Wow," she said walking to the desk. "These are real negatives, not digital." Daniel came to join her. "Yeah, the June issue has this big spread on the strong lines that designers are recycling from the 80s. They want to make sure that the new cover shot in no way duplicates any that were done in 1980 through around 1994. Therefore," he gestured to the desk. "A giant pile of negatives." Betty glanced up at him. "And you love every moment of it." He shrugged before grinning. "Yeah, I do. At Mode I had to focus on the big picture all the time. It's kind of nice to be able to dig into the details of just one project." He nodded towards the sofa and her pile of files. "So where would you like to work?"

"The sofa's perfect." She headed over and sat down. Daniel frowned, "You sure? I can clear off the desk if you like?" She shook her head. "No, it's alright. This is where I usually sit and do work when I'm at home." Daniel gestured to a mini-fridge in the corner of the room. "Okay, feel free to help yourself to anything in there and let me know when you get hungry. We can take a break and go grab something to eat." Betty smiled, "Sounds great."

Rustling papers and the click of laptop keys were the only sounds in the room as Daniel settled back at the desk. Betty grabbed a notebook and pen and began brainstorming for themes to be used for the next two issues. Ten minutes ticked by without a single valid idea. Then 15, which turned into 20 and upwards to 30… She wanted to toss her pen across the room in frustration but refrained. She was getting nothing done.

Repressing a sigh she allowed her brain a split-second to focus on what it wanted, which of course was Daniel. The way he smelled, the way he his khaki sweater and jeans were completely casual which only made him more appealing, the way he'd barely kissed her the night before and how she'd received no acknowledgment today, not even a hug or high-five- not that anyone did high-fives anymore… Frustrated, she pulled her laptop out of her bag. Betty hit a few buttons until one of the new articles she'd been working on filled the screen. Forcing herself to concentrate she began redlining, pounding out changes on the keyboard.

A small message box opened on the bottom right-hand corner of her screen:

**nyc_Meade**: you ok?

**SuarezB16**: fine. why?

**nyc_Meade**: bc you're pounding on your keyboard like it offended you

**SuarezB16**: sorry didn't mean to disturb you. why are you IM-ing me when we're in the same room?

**nyc_Meade**: we're working- I don't want to interrupt the flow

**SuarezB16**: haha there is no flow, at least not for me

**nyc_Meade**: can't concentrate?

**SuarezB16**: pretty much

**nyc_Meade**: that stinks, sorry. if you need to go back to your place to get some things done its fine

**SuarezB16**: maybe- not sure it'll help though

**nyc_Meade**: why not?

Betty considered what was eating at her. It was that she'd had a change of heart. She didn't want to hurry into a physical relationship or living together, but last night had made her realize that she wanted to be dating Daniel, exclusively. She smiled as she returned the IM.

**SuarezB16**: there's this guy

**nyc_Meade**: really? hmmm….

**SuarezB16**: yep.

**nyc_Meade**: do I know him?

**SuarezB16**: u might ;)

**nyc_Meade**: so what about him?

**SuarezB16**: he's pretty great

**nyc_Meade**: of course

**SuarezB16**: lol modest too

**nyc_Meade**: ummm… strike my last message then

**SuarezB16**: haha….but this guy's not my boyfriend

Daniel stiffened in his chair.

**nyc_Meade**: right- understood

**SuarezB16**: that's what's so great, he does understand- but maybe I want to change things

**nyc_Meade**: it's a woman's prerogative to change her mind

**SuarezB16**: exactly

**nyc_Meade**: what do you want to change things to?

**SuarezB16**: I thought maybe labels might not be so bad

**nyc_Meade**: seriously?

**SuarezB16**: seriously.

**nyc_Meade**: meaning? …. you wouldn't mind having a boyfriend?

**SuarezB16**: not this particular one

**nyc_Meade**: I think that could be arranged ;)

**SuarezB16**: but there is a catch

**nyc_Meade**: catch away

**SuarezB16**: exclusivity contract- binding on both parties

**nyc_Meade**: exclusivity contract- aren't we getting formal

**SuarezB16**: well we are _supposed_ to be working … hey! you haven't answered!

**nyc_Meade**: just checking my calendar…. ;)

**SuarezB16**: not funny Daniel, not funny (ok maybe a little funny)

**nyc_Meade**: lol- like you have anything to worry about- terms and conditions accepted

**SuarezB16**: so how should we make it official?

"I can think of a way," Daniel answered as he spun around in his chair. He stood and came towards her, pulling her to her feet. "I think a kiss is the way to go here," he informed her. Betty pretended to consider. "You may be right," she replied sliding her hands up his arms as he pulled her closer. Bending low he kissed her, gently sipping at her lips. She pressed closer, he held back. Daniel lifted his face and Betty murmured a protest. He smiled, pressing her head to his chest and placing a kiss to the top. "Too bad you didn't wear a ponytail," he joked. Betty burrowed her face in his sweater and laughingly groaned, "Next time, I promise."


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Sorry about the mix-up last night, Chapter 9 was there and gone! Here it is to stay and with it comes another slight shift in our favorite couple's dynamic- Happy reading!_

_P.S.- I'm glad you all enjoyed the IM chat in the last chapter so much- it was a blast to write! _

* * *

Betty and Daniel sat at a table in The English Tea Room. Betty was glad she'd chosen to wear black suede flats with her jeans and gray blazer rather than heels for their real estate adventure. With all the walking they'd done around Mayfair she was sure heels would have left her permanently crippled. Not that that seemed to bother Daniel's real estate agent, Leslie. The woman seemed to float in heels, even when walking on damp sod. Betty had tried that once and sunk like a stone.

Sprawling the housing pamphlets across the table Betty rested her chin against the heel of her hand. "I have no idea how you are going to choose one of these places! Every one is better than the last." "I know," Daniel replied. "Which one's your favorite?"

"Favorite? I can't even decide on my top three!" Betty leaned back surveying the glossy photos. She was glad Daniel had kicked her out of his hotel after lunch the previous day and forced her to go home and finish working. Otherwise, she never would have been able to spare the time to accompany him condo hunting. Carefully, she fingered through the papers choosing two and passing them to Daniel. Her hand hesitated over a third page. Daniel's eyes narrowed as Betty gave a shake of her head and lowered her hand. "That's it. Those are my two picks," she informed him.

"So which is the top choice? The duplex or the condo," he asked holding each page up. Betty shook her head. "No way. This is your place. I chose my top two but that's it." Daniel laid the pages down and placed his hand palm up on the table. "Fair enough. Let's see if we can go find Leslie and get some paperwork started." Betty slid her hand into his. "Great, because I can't wait to spend more time with her," she answered dryly. He grinned as they stood, pulling her in close. "Jealous?" Betty pointedly did not rise to the bait. "No, I just fail to see the reason why she needs to stand almost on top of you every time she shows you a master suite and tell you to 'just imagine the possibilities' – she practically purrs," Betty replied calmly. Daniel laughed.

Outside they headed across the street where Leslie patiently waited. The real estate agent looked up from her Blackberry as they approached. "So," she asked ignoring Betty and beaming her 100 watt, veneer smile at Daniel. "Did you make any decisions?" Betty wondered what her teeth looked like before the veneers.

"Actually there are a few properties that interest me. I thought maybe we could talk numbers on two of them," Daniel replied. "Of course," Leslie responded. The agent leaned down to reach for her bag, teetering dangerously as she rose. To steady herself she grabbed the closest support, which happened to be Daniel. To his credit he didn't react- just let her cling while she wobbled like a Weeble. "I am so sorry," she simpered. "These silly shoes." Realizing Daniel would be of no assistance; Leslie righted herself, professionalism emerging, "My office is right around the corner." Daniel nodded. "Lead the way." As they followed, Daniel squeezed Betty's hand. She shot him a bland look. He winked. She couldn't help but smile.

Arriving at the office to talk contracts, Daniel tried to bring Betty in the room with him but she refused. After all, this was his new home and his money. She settled for keeping herself occupied in the waiting area. Thirty minutes later Daniel emerged. "Ready to go?" Betty looked up from the email she'd been drafting. "Sure. You're finished already?" Daniel held the door open as she rose. "Yes, I just have to get in touch with the bank on Monday, finalize a few details and the place is mine." Betty stepped into the sunshine. "Congratulations," she offered. "Which place did you choose?"

"Nope, not telling you until it is 100% official, don't want to jinx it." Betty made a face. "You're just going to make me wait- without even a hint. I thought you were nicer than that," she cajoled. Daniel loped an arm around her shoulders. "You thought wrong," he whispered in her ear. Betty shivered as awareness scooted down her spine. "Okay, I'll wait until Monday," she agreed grudgingly. Daniel teased, "Such grace in the face of defeat."

Betty shoved playfully against his chest. "Stop tormenting me."

"Can't help it, it's addictive."

"Find a support group."

"Admit it; you'd miss it if I stopped."

"Not likely."

"Didn't you ever hear that boys always pick on the girls they like the most?"

"Please, not that old excuse."

Daniel led her down a side street past an artist who was drawing portraits of the children playing in the park. "Excuse? It's part of the guy code."

"The guy code," she asked in mock awe. "You mean it does exist?"

"Don't make fun of the guy code," he warned. "There are punishments for girls who mock it."

"What about for guys who break it?"

"Them, too. It's usually resolved by a fist fight in an alley or other deserted location. You score extra points if you get a scar and have a cool story to tell." Betty laughed, clutching his arm as they skirted around a group of boys playing soccer. "Why does that not surprise me?"

Daniel led her toward a small grove of trees. "You know there's something I've wanted to do for the past couple blocks," he told her. She looked up as she settled on a bench under the trees. "What's that?" Taking a seat beside her he leaned in. "This," he said softly. Her lips parted slightly in anticipation the moment she realized his intent. Warmth spread through her as they kissed that she was powerless to control. She shivered as he pulled her closer until their bodies touched. His hands slid up her arms to caress her shoulders. Beneath her palms she felt the hard taught muscles of his back. Reason reluctantly surfaced in Daniel's brain. Suddenly, shocked that he'd let the kiss go so deep, he jerked back, breathing heavily. When he broke away Betty felt a quick stab of loneliness.

"Ready to head back," Daniel asked casually. He stretched his legs out in front of him trying to slow his heart. "Back," she echoed. Her head spun from his touch, her lips still tasted of his kiss. She held back a sigh. "Sure," she conceded. "Let's head back." Not meeting his eyes she stood. He rose as well. "You alright?"

Betty nodded. She was fine, really. So why was her throat so tight? Daniel rested his fingers against her sleeve. "Talk to me." She shook her head. "Please," he tried again. She let out a strangled laugh. "You pull away. All the time. You kiss me as if… as if…" she cleared her throat. "It doesn't matter how. What matters is that every time you back away, like you regret it or are having second thoughts. Like you just did, like yesterday in your suite."

He stared at her in shock. "I've been trying to make sure that things aren't moving too fast for you. It's what you wanted." Betty stared back irritation bringing a flush to her skin. "Slow- yes, glacial- not so much," she muttered. "Slow doesn't mean having to hide what you feel Daniel, it means feeling it, embracing it and knowing that when the timing is right everything will come together. It doesn't mean trying to pretend it isn't there so I won't get scared away!"

"How would I know that? This is new for me. I'm just trying not to make any mistakes. I don't want to loose you and I'm trying my damnedest not to frighten you off. Despite what people think I'm not the romantic guy who says and does all the right things all the time." Daniel crossed his arms.

Betty demanded, "You think that's what I want? The perfect vision of you that women in New York City fantasized over. I don't. To be honest if that Daniel had shown up here I probably would have kicked him to the curb."

Frazzled, Daniel held up his hands in surrender. "What do you want from me?"

Betty smiled at his confusion. "I want you. The real you. The guy who is going to make mistakes in this relationship because I'll make them to. The Daniel who's not going to try and protect me from what he feels- no matter how intense. The Daniel who lets real estate agents teeter dangerously in five inch stilettos because he doesn't want to make his girlfriend uncomfortable. That's the Daniel I want to be with. Slow doesn't mean sheltering me. It means we make conscious decisions about 'us' together."

Daniel let out a pent up breath. He was speechless. She humbled him and made him wonder how he'd ever managed to be lucky enough to have her in his life. Coming forward Betty wrapped her arms around his waist. Reciprocating, Daniel rested his forehead against hers. "You know Daniel," Betty began. "You might not be this perfect, romantic guy who says and does all the right things at all the right times, but I'm pretty sure you're perfect for me." And for the first time ever she stood on tiptoes and kissed him.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Finally, finally, our couple is solid, and it only took nine chapters to get there! Lol *sigh* BTW I know the last chapter was torturous bc, if you're like me, you __really __want them to get it together already and, if I was writing and suffering, I can only imagine how tempted readers were to yell 'Come on!' (or worse) at their monitors. __ Anyways, thanks for hanging in there and for the massive amounts of restraint you all showed by not sending me PMs entitled 'What the hell r u waiting for?' ;)_

An exhausted Daniel flopped face down on his hotel bed. Wow. His first day with i-D was incredible, people everywhere, hundreds of names to remember. He'd never realized how easy he had it delegating things at Mode. He'd worked, but he'd been able to pass off a lot of things too. Not this time. He was the passer-off-to now.

It hadn't helped that he was feeling pretty crappy. His stomach hurt, muscles ached and he was warm all over. He sure as hell hoped he hadn't gotten Betty sick. Forcing himself to roll over he released the clasp on his watch and tossed it on the nightstand. He started to sit up but a wave of nausea caught him by surprise. He really needed to call Betty. He knew she would want to know how his first day had been but… maybe he would lay here for a minute or two, just until he didn't feel so sick.

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Betty glanced at her cell phone for the third time in the past twenty minutes. The tv show splashed across the screen did nothing to hold her interest. It was nearing 10:30 p.m. and Daniel hadn't called. She knew that it was his first day and that he'd probably stayed late, but 10:30 p.m. late? She could call him. But if he was still working she didn't want to disturb him. Repressing a yawn she reached for the remote. She had an early meeting tomorrow and needed to get some sleep. Clutching her phone she headed for the bedroom, she knew Daniel would call as soon as he had a chance.

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Huddled under blankets Daniel felt chilled. His stomach hurt worse when he breathed deep so he took shallow breaths. It was the worst stomach flu he remembered having in ages. Glancing at the bedside clock he tried to make out the numbers- he thought it said 3:00-- in the morning? He tried to focus but another sharp pain made him grit his teeth. Closing his eyes he searched his brain for where he'd put his cell phone. He knew it was nearby…

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Betty drummed her fingers against the glass table top. Under normal circumstances her full attention would have been dedicated to the two hour morning layout meeting. Not today. Daniel still hadn't contacted her. Not even a text. It didn't feel right. Even if he'd gotten in too late to call the prior evening she knew he would've gotten in touch with this morning on his way to work. She'd tried calling him but had gotten voicemail. Anxiously she glanced at the clock. Ten minutes until the meeting ended, and then she was taking an early lunch to go check on Daniel.

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Why was the sun so bright this early, Daniel wondered. Burying his head beneath his pillow he sucked in a breath at the pain the small movement caused. His abdomen felt on fire. He didn't feel sick; he felt a whole lot worse than just sick. If only his mind wasn't so fuzzy, then he could maybe figure out what was wrong. His eyes slid shut; keeping them open required too much effort.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Betty hurried in to the Dorchester's front desk. She'd left work with an excuse about a personal appointment. The personal part was true, the appointment part not so much. Waiting impatiently for the guests in front of her complete their check-out, she stepped up to the marble counter.

"Hi, I was wondering if you could call a guest's room for me."

The girl behind the counter typed a few keys into her computer. "Of course, room number?"

"It's the Audley Suite." Betty refrained from asking the girl to move faster. "Ah, that would be Mr. Meade's room. Give me one moment while I try his extension." From where she was standing Betty could hear the phone ring. Come on Daniel, she thought, pick up! Finally, after the seventh ring the hotels complimentary voicemail answered, informing them that the guest was unavailable.

"I'm sorry," the girl offered. "It appears that Mr. Meade is not in." Betty nodded. "Thanks. Maybe I'll just go up and knock on the door, see if he answers." The girl hesitated, "Unfortunately, we're not allowed to give out floor numbers of guests room." Betty started towards the elevators. "It's okay. I know where it is, I was there the other day." Thankfully before the clerk could respond the elevator doors opened and Betty was able to slip in unopposed.

She rode to the roof suite floor and rushed to Daniel's door. "Daniel," she called knocking. "Daniel, you in there?" Nothing. Silence greeted her from the other side. Betty tried again. "Are you there Daniel?" Helplessly she reached for her phone hitting Daniel's speed dial. She waited as it rang pressing her ear against the door. Faintly she heard a ring. Spinning around she saw a housekeeping cart not far down the hall. "Excuse me," Betty called. A middle aged woman turned with a smile, "What can I do for you?"

"Have you checked that room yet," Betty asked gesturing toward the Audley Suite door. The woman frowned, "Not yet, why?" Betty took a deep breath. "My boyfriend's staying there. I know this is going to sound crazy but I haven't heard from him in the past 24 hours and I think something may be wrong. I knocked on the door and there was no answer, but I called his cell phone and heard it ringing from inside. He never goes _anywhere_ without his phone. Could you please just go in and check if anyone's inside? If not I promise to leave." The woman noticed the way Betty twisted her purse straps, the tension in her voice and how her eyes barely glanced away from the hotel suite door; she had the look of a worried woman in love. "Stay right here while I check," the woman told Betty with a gentle pat on her shoulder. "I'm sure everything is just fine." The woman used her keycard to enter Daniel's suite. It seemed like an eternity until she returned. Betty took one look at her face and felt the bottom of her stomach drop, "What's wrong?"

Hurrying forward the woman waved Betty into Daniel's room. "He's sick and from the looks of it in pretty bad shape." Betty rushed past her. Tossing her bag to the floor she quietly moved to the bed. Daniel laid still and pale. A light sheen of sweat on his face yet he shivered under the covers. He groaned in pain as Betty lightly rested her weight on the bed. "Daniel, it's me. Tell me what's wrong," she asked quietly. Reaching out she ran her fingers down his cheek, his eyes opened. He licked his chapped lips. "Hi… I should've called… but I don't feel so well." Betty tucked the covers in tighter around him. "It's okay. What hurts? You look like you're in pain."

Daniel winced as he tried to roll over. "My stomach… feels like someone's stabbing it... I wish it would stop… try not to move but it doesn't help." Betty ran her hand back and forth across his jaw as his eyes drifted closed. "Daniel? Hey don't go back to sleep yet, okay?" "Okay," he muttered. "You shouldn't be here…you get sick."

Betty eased as gently as she could off the bed but even made him bite his lip. "I'm sorry, Daniel. I need to get to your phone. Does your stomach hurt or is it lower and to the side?" It took effort for him to reply, "Maybe…what's it matter?" Betty leaned down making sure not to jostle the bed. Betty punched '9-9-9' into his cell, ignoring the display's 28 missed calls message. "No," he argued faintly as Betty gave the hotel name, room number and details of Daniel's condition- most notably the abdominal pain that was rendering him immobile- to the emergency dispatcher. She ignored Daniel's rapidly fading protests and listened to the operator's advice to grab some of his personal items in case the hospital chose to admit him.

Finding a duffel bag in the closet she opened the top dresser drawer to get boxers, socks and t-shirts. Another drawer held a few sweatshirts- she grabbed one with 'NYU' emblazoned across the front- and a pair of jeans. Continuing her search she grabbed a pair of pajama bottoms to add to the bag. As she lifted the bottoms something fell and hit the toes of her shoe. Her brow furrowed- what was that blue thing? Hurriedly she reached down. Her fingers grasped the item and she started. She'd lived in New York long enough to know that this particular robin's egg blue box with white ribbon could only come from one place. Her eyes caressed the logo, 'Tiffany's'. Wishing she could peek inside, Betty wedged the box back in the drawer. Even in a crisis a girl had to be allowed a moment to imagine the wonders inside a Tiffany's box.

Zipping up the duffel, she heard a siren come to a stop outside. "Hey, the paramedics are almost here. We're going to go get you checked out," she told Daniel moving back to the bedside. He murmured but she couldn't make out the words. Before she knew it Betty was asked to back away as emergency personnel took over. She grimaced when they moved Daniel onto the gurney for transport. If breathing hurt she couldn't imagine how all the bouncing around felt.

Climbing inside for the ride to the hospital Betty held his hand. She wanted to reassure Daniel that everything was going to be fine but the paramedic kept a running dialogue with the staff at St. Mary's Hospital ER, Betty didn't want to distract him. Arriving at St. Mary's, Daniel was whisked away into an 'employee's only' area. Betty sat in a waiting room chair chewing on her bottom lip, Daniel's duffel at her feet. Hospital noises filled the minutes until finally a kindly looking doctor appeared. "Is there anyone here for a Daniel Meade, a Betty?" he asked. Betty rose. "That's me, I'm the one who brought him in. Is he alright?" "You're Betty?" The doctor looked down at the clipboard he held and back up. "I'm sorry, it doesn't say what your relationship to the patient is. Are you family?" She hesitated before responding, "Yes, I am." Betty hoped he wouldn't press her for more details and thankfully he didn't.

The doctor held out his hand. "I'm Dr. Kline. It appears that Mr. Meade has had a rapid onset of appendicitis- a severe one at that. It's rare that people get symptoms so intense so quickly but we do see it from time to time." Betty breathed a sigh of relief. "Appendicitis? That's common right?"

Dr. Kline nodded. "Yes, it is. We did a CT scan to confirm the diagnosis and it does not appear that the appendix is perforated. He's being prepped for surgery. It'll be done via laparoscope and, barring no complications, he should be able to go home in two to three days." Betty visibly relaxed, "Thank you." Dr. Kline smiled. "Just be patient and we'll let you know as soon as he's in recovery." He lifted Daniel's chart. "Actually," he amended. "If you know of any way to get a hold of some of his medical information it would be helpful." Betty reached for her phone. "Done," she told him. Dr. Kline handed her the chart, "Just give it to the desk clerk over to the left when it's completed."

Betty sank back down in her chair. At least now she had a task to occupy her brain. Pulling her address book up on screen she scrolled through, thank goodness she hadn't cleaned out any of her old numbers- there Claire Meade- Betty tapped the screen. It wasn't until she heard the first ring that she panicked, she did not want to break the news about Daniel, but she couldn't exactly not make the call either.

"Claire Meade," an assured female voice answered. Betty swallowed hard. "Mrs. Meade- hi, it's Betty. I'm sorry to bother you but-"

"Betty you are never a bother," Claire interrupted. "In fact I was hoping you would call?"

"You were?"

"Well, I was hoping Daniel would make you call after he asked so I could be in on the excitement. I didn't think it would be this soon but regardless; put me on speaker so I can talk to both of you."

"Uh… Mrs. Meade, I think you must be confused; I can't put Daniel on the phone. That's why I'm calling."

Immediately Claire's tone changed. "Betty, what is it. Where's Daniel?"

"He… came down with a sudden case of appendicitis and is having his appendix removed. It didn't perforate which the doctor said is good. I'm actually calling to get some medical information for his chart." Silence greeted Betty. "Mrs. Meade?"

"I'm here. How is he and don't tell me he's doing okay just to try and make me feel better."

"He's hurting, the pains are sharp, a fever- I don't know how high- and he's pale as a ghost. I'm sorry," Betty said softly, not for his condition but for being the bearer of such information. Claire sighed, "It's alright. Thank you for telling me. Now Betty, about that medical information, Daniel is allergic to Bactrim and high blood pressure runs in the family. Other than that I can't think of anything else pertinent." Betty scribbled the information down. "Got it. I'll make sure that the doctor gets it. Mrs. Meade is there anything you want me to tell Daniel for you when he gets out of surgery?"

"Tell him I will be there soon. And Betty?"

"Yes?"

"You can call me 'Claire'."

The line went dead and Betty closed her phone. Looking over her notes she handed them to the desk nurse and returned to her seat. She fingered her necklace and prayed that everything went fine with Daniel's surgery. Blue boxes and odd comments from Mrs. Mea- _Claire_- were thoughts for another day...


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Thank you so much for all your comments on the past few installments! As always I __love__ reading them and hope you enjoy the new chapter!_

A dump truck was backing up and its incessant beeping was going to drive him mad. Why was there a dump truck in the hotel anyway? Daniel squinted as he opened his eyes adjusting to the light. Turning his head to the right he saw the beeping culprit. Definitely not a dump truck he thought fuzzily, they were much bigger. Where was he? And what was the weight on his left hand? Looking down he saw his fingers clasped by Betty. Bits and pieces came floating back- sharp pains, feeling nauseous, something about a car ride…

Betty looked up. "You're awake! How are you feeling?" Daniel swallowed, or tried to at least, his throat was dry as a bone. "Umm… my stomach doesn't hurt anymore," he croaked. Betty gave a relieved smile, "It better not after they removed your appendix. The nurse said you could have a few sips of water the next time you woke up. Do you want some?" He nodded thankfully.

She poured a small, half cup of water from a carafe next to the bed. Helping Daniel lean forward she lifted the cup to his lips. It was pure heaven as it coated his throat. Finishing his drink he laid back and whispered, "Thanks. You said 'the next time I woke up', how many times have I been 'up' before? This is the first I remember." Betty adjusted a pillow behind his head. "Shhh. Your throat probably feels like the Sahara. You've been drifting in and out for a while. It's Wednesday morning." Daniel's eyes widened like saucers and Betty held up a hand to keep him silent. "I know, where did Tuesday go? You came down with a severe and sudden case of appendicitis. When I got to your apartment late Tuesday morning you were in bad shape. I called '9-9-9' and you were rushed to St. Mary's ED- emergency department- the doctors did a CT scan and determined that your appendix hadn't ruptured. Good news for you- they performed a laparoscopic procedure to remove it before you became any worse. I also got in touch with your boss, which wasn't easy because I left your phone back at your room and without any direct contact information had to go through the main switchboard and be transferred to a whole bunch of different people before I found Tony, but he said to get better and he'd see you when the doctor cleared you for work." She paused to catch her breath. "Oh and your mom's here."

"What?" Daniel looked around the room. "Not here this second, I forced her to go check-in at the hotel and freshen up. And don't ask me what time she arrived because honestly the days have really started to blur together despite my massive caffeine intake," Betty replied. She allowed her eyes to roam his face as she thanked heaven for the billionth time that he was alright. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you," she told him. "Don't scare me like that anymore, okay?" He nodded and reached for her hand. Their eyes drew to each other and words couldn't have expressed better what they read in each others gaze.

Claire stood in the doorway a moment absorbing the scene. Daniel looked awful and, at this point, Betty didn't look too wonderful herself, but the emotions between them were almost palpable and that is what made it beautiful to watch. She cleared her throat alerting them to her presence, smothering a smile as Betty jumped a good foot in the air and shyly tried to extract her hand from Daniel's. He didn't let her go. Claire laid her coat and bag on an extra chair and moved to give her son a kiss. "I'm glad to see you awake for good this time. How do you feel?" Daniel offered a tired smile. "Better than I did yesterday. You didn't have to fly over here for this, I would've been fine."

"Oh, yes. I can picture me enjoying cocktail hour while my son's in surgery in another country. Because having organs removed is such a mundane procedure these days," she joked. "It's not a necessary organ," Daniel muttered. Brushing a hand over his hair Claire added, "You are stuck with me until you're out of this hospital and back on your feet, get used to it." He sighed, "Well in that case, I'm glad you're here."

Claire looked across the bed to Betty who seemed on the verge of collapse. She knew waiting around in a hospital was more mentally and physically draining than most people realized. "Betty, why don't you head home for a spell? Take a hot shower and a nap. I'll stay here with Daniel until you get back," Claire offered. "Home," Betty parroted rubbing her free hand across her forehead. "Yeah, that might be a good idea. At least for a bit." Daniel's hand visibly tightened around hers. "Umm… or I could stay her for a little longer," Betty corrected.

Claire glanced at her son. If he didn't let Betty go, she was going to end up with both of them in the hospital, an appendicitis- exhaustion combo. "No, you should go. You need a break from this place, get some fresh air. Isn't that right, Daniel?" Daniel glanced at his mother. He knew that tone. Nodding in agreement he added, "Right. Go." Betty looked uncertainly at the door. "If you're sure… okay, I'll be back soon." Standing she gave Daniel a quick hug, shot Claire a grateful smile and stepped away. Or at least tried to. Daniel still had her hand captive in his. She attempted to subtly pull it away to no avail. Claire resisted the urge to poke him. Finally he relinquished his grip and Betty, with a flurry of promises to be back soon, made her exit.

Looking down at her son in amusement Claire asked, "Scared to be alone with me?" She filled the cup with more water and offered it out to him. He drank greedily, shaking his head when she offered more. "Just like her close by I guess," he admitted. "Sorry you had to fly all the way out here because of this." Claire lowered herself into the seat Betty had vacated. "It's not like you planned appendicitis. Although a lot has happened since you arrived - new romance, new job, Betty mentioned a new home last night and now hospitalization." She raised her eyebrows. "And speaking of new romance, things between you and Betty seem…close. Definitely closer than what I expected based on our last phone conversation. How's your throat feel?" He smiled and bit his lip. "Mt throat is better- the water really helped and, about Betty, I guess you could say that. We're actually together now. Strange thing is I didn't have to really convince her, it just seemed to happen."

Claire idly fixed the edges of the blanket. "Yes, when Betty called me I actually thought it was to share some news with me," she informed him. "News? What kind of news?" Daniel couldn't think of a single thing newsworthy that Betty would call his mother about, aside from dire illness. She gave her son a look, "News involving a certain item you purchased at Tiffany's before departing for London." Claire believed that one of the greatest things about being a mother were the times you managed to catch your children completely off guard by what you knew about their life. This was one of those times. Daniel's mouth gaped like a fish before sputtering, "How do you even _know_ about that?" Claire leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs. "I went in to have a loose stone fixed on one of my necklaces and Patricia asked whether or not your recent purchase had been satisfactory. Naturally, I had no idea what she was talking about so I assured her that you were more than please. To which she responded 'what a lucky girl with a ring like that'. When Betty called, I thought it was because you had presented her with said ring and she'd said yes. Unfortunately, instead of popping a champagne cork after that conversation I was popping Dramamine."

Daniel closed his eyes. "Mom," he asked slowly. "What exactly did you say when she called?" Please god let him not actually be having this conversation with his mother. Claire waved off his concern. "Nothing too revealing. I just said that I was hoping you would have her call me after you asked so I could celebrate too and something about suddenness and putting the phone on speaker. She was so worried about you I doubt she paid my ramblings any attention." He opened one eye and peeked as his mother. "I think I was better off unconscious."

"Don't be so melodramatic. It's not as if she realized anything and I doubt she remembers what I said when she called. So my comments meant nothing." Claire reached for his hand, glancing down. "Burns healed nicely." Daniel gave a half-laugh that hurt. "Yeah, they healed just fine. And you're right, what you said probably went right over her head at the time. Just, no more proposal assumptions okay?" "Deal," Claire agreed. "But it is an engagement ring, a very nice one-"

"Mom, no." Daniel couldn't help but smile.

"You didn't get a nice ring?"

Daniel shot his mother a look. "No, we aren't having this conversation." Claire laughed. "Fair enough. I'm going to go find some coffee. You should rest for a while." She gathered her purse pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I missed you and I'm glad you're okay. Get some sleep." Daniel nodded. He was beginning to feel like he could use a nap. As Claire reached the door he called out to her, "Mom?" She turned, "What is it sweetheart?"

Daniel shifted his weight against the pillows. "I never agreed it was."

"Was what?"

"An engagement ring," he answered sleepily.

Claire eyed him speculatively. Pressing her lips together to keep from laughing she waited just a bit longer before stating, "Too bad, I've heard the _Legacy_ is quite stunning." With that she slipped out the room, chuckling to herself as she headed down the hall. Daniel could only groan and close his eyes, when she got an idea in her head…


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: I'm glad you all are having fun watching this story unfold! _

A hot shower, few hours sleep and some time spent catching up on emails and other loose ends from work had never made a girl feel so good. Betty was en route back to the hospital after stopping by the hotel to retrieve Daniel's cell phone. She knew that if he was up to it tomorrow, he'd probably want to check-in with his boss. Thankfully, the staff had allowed her access to his suite without issue.

As the taxi arrived at St. Mary's, she paid the driver and exited. Oblivious to the interested looks in her direction from the gentleman who held the elevator she headed up to Daniel's room. From just outside she could hear Claire and Daniel's voices. Reaching in her bag before entering she pulled out Daniel's cell. His entire face brightened like a child on Christmas morning when he saw the device. "My phone," he exclaimed reaching for it before Betty even made it to his bedside.

Betty shook her head giving Claire a quick hello. "You do realize it's just a phone, right?" She handed the device over, both embarrassed and thrilled when he brushed his thumb across her knuckles and tugged her forward for a fast kiss. He seemed unaffected by his mom in the room but public displays of affection still made her feel a little strange.

"This is not a phone," he corrected. "This is my entire life- names, numbers, emails, calendars, addresses, Twitter, news updates-"

"Do you even know how to use Twitter," Betty interrupted. Claire laughed.

Daniel paused. "No, but that's not the point. If I wanted to, I have the option on my phone." He tapped the screen like a man possessed; applications popped up and disappeared at lightning speed. "You're the best. Thanks for bringing it down," he told her, his eyes never leaving the screen.

"No problem," she replied dryly. She looked at Claire. "Have you eaten yet? I only grabbed a small bite at home and since he's-" she inclined her head towards Daniel- "occupied, I don't think we'd be missed."

Gathering her things Claire agreed. "That sounds like a wonderful idea. I want to hear all about how things are with your new job. We haven't really had a chance to chat."

"Perfect, it's settled. Daniel, we're going to go get something to eat. We'll be back before visiting hours are over." Betty and Claire headed towards the door and Daniel looked up quickly, "Have a good time. See you in a bit."

"Be back soon," Claire called as they left. The two headed to the elevators. While waiting for the car Claire mentioned, "I haven't seen Daniel this relaxed in a long time." Betty gave a half shrug of her shoulders, "I know- he can spend hours fiddling with that phone." Claire hid a grin, not what she'd meant but she let it slide.

Once in the lobby Claire looked to Betty. "So where to?"

Betty glanced up ruefully. "Good question. I have no idea. The dinner thing came to me and I didn't really think through the details… like where. Sorry."

Claire laughed. "No need to apologize. I happen to remember this great little place from the last time I was visiting London."

"Really," Betty asked relieved.

"Really," Claire confirmed. "It's called Delima's. They have the most amazing Malaysian dishes. I think you'll love it!"

o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

Thirty minutes later Betty and Claire sat nestled in a booth pouring over the menu. A server approached for their order.

"Decided yet," Claire asked.

"Everything sounds delicious, especially after hospital food the last few days. I think I'll have the Chicken Curry. "

The server glanced expectantly at Claire. "I'll have the Sweet Pineapple Curry."

"I'm glad you're here," Betty admitted as the server left. "It's been nice having someone around to worry with me."

Claire took a sip of her wine. "Well, I can't tell you how thankful I am you took care of him. That you got him to the hospital before he got worse."

Betty tried not to think of the what-ifs. "He's fine now, that's what matters."

"Agreed." Claire lifted her glass and they toasted.

"I miss having him in New York but he seems to be doing well here."

"He is- he's found a job which suits his talents yet still gives him the ability to achieve more on his own merits. I already mentioned the place he bought-I would give you more details but he didn't want to tell me which house he picked until the deal was closed. It was supposed to happen on Monday but, with everything else, I don't know where that stands." Betty rested her chin against her fist on the table.

"And there's you," Claire added. She reached for a piece of bread breaking it in half on her plate.

Betty hoped that the dim lighting masked the flush in her cheeks. "Yes…"

Claire waved her butter knife. "Please, my dear. No need to be embarrassed. After all, it's not like it was a surprise to me."

Betty sighed. This was Claire, who'd know before they did. "I know. You mentioned it at my farewell party which completely threw me. I never thought for a second… then 'surprise' he shows up in London and …"

"Ambushed you," Claire supplied. Their eyes met across the table and they burst out laughing. "Pretty much," Betty agreed. "I literally walked into him and hung up on the person I was on the phone with. To this day I can't remember who I was talking to!"

Claire leaned back in her chair and wiped a tear from her eye. "That's Daniel. He does have a certain flair for timing."

"Honestly, I'm not sure my head has stopped spinning since. In a good way." They quieted as their entrees arrived.

Claire eyed Betty sympathetically. "I can imagine. Plus it has to be strange knowing each other as well as you two do."

"A little," she confessed. "Knowing someone that well- the good, bad, major moments, insignificant details- then adding a new layer… Usually in a relationship there's a getting-to-know-you phase…. But we…"

"Already have a foundation. It feels as if you've been together for ages and at the same time it's all brand new," Claire finished.

Betty relaxed. "Exactly. Somehow I knew you'd understand. My head is loudly telling me to stay on the ledge but my heart says jump."

"Hmmm, we've covered the head and the heart. But what does your gut say," Claire asked.

"My gut?"

"Sure. The heart and head usually give conflicting opinions but your gut is almost always the best indicator of what you should do, it runs on pure instinct. So let it guide you. If it feels right, go with it, if it doesn't feel right, stop."

Betty toyed with her chicken. "Sounds like good advice and if we're going with the gut, it's telling me that being with Daniel is where I'm supposed to be. I just wish I knew how to keep my mind quiet."

"Medication," Claire answered with a wink. Betty giggled as she continued, "Enough talk about Daniel. Since he's not here he cannot be allowed to monopolize the conversation. Now tell me about your new job."

Betty launched into detail about the magazine, co-workers, projects and ideas. Her eyes sparkled as she spoke excitedly about things to come. Listening, Claire couldn't help but admire her enthusiasm.

The meal ended and the two prepared to leave, they had just enough time to say good-night to Daniel before visiting hours ended. Arriving at St. Mary's they ambled down the hall, idle conversation passing between them.

"Have you been on that thing since we left," Claire asked incredulously entering her son's room. Daniel sat propped up in bed; phone still in hand. "I had things to follow-up on," he informed her.

Betty slipped around the bed and before Daniel could protest swiped the phone. "Oh, yes. Very important follow-up- Texas HoldEm' must have been lost without you," she teased. Handing the phone back she squinted at the screen, "How are you down $6,000 this early?"

Closing the application Daniel replied, "I hit a wrong button." Betty looked skeptical, Claire appeared amused. He hastily changed the subject. "How was dinner?"

"Delicious," Betty answered sinking into a chair.

Claire nodded in agreement. "It was just as nice as I remembered, perhaps better." The three chatted for another few moments before a nurse informed then that visiting hours would be over in 15 minutes.

Betty stood and gave Daniel a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow after work. Since you're feeling better I need to go in for at least half a day before I'm completely buried."

"But I will be here all day tomorrow," Claire said as she too leaned in to say goodbye. "Maybe we can find a deck of cards and play a real game of Texas HoldEm' instead of on that ridiculous phone of yours."

Daniel stared at his mother. "You know how to play poker?"

"Of course, darling. I promise not to take all your money until after you've had a few practice rounds." Claire slipped into her coat and Betty scooped up her bag. Daniel was about to respond to this new revelation about his mom when Betty interjected, "Oh! I almost forgot!"

She glanced from Daniel to Claire. "On the phone, when I called to tell you about Daniel, you mentioned you wanted to congratulate us? I never got a chance to find out about what about."

Daniel decided that if you were going to have a heart attack the best place to do it would be in a hospital. Seeing as he was in one, his elevated heart rate didn't cause him much concern. He did however hope that his mother had one amazing way out of this awkward moment because god knew he didn't.

Claire considered the situation before replying. "On being together. I knew why Daniel was in London and I was hoping you two would call me so I could tell you how happy and proud I am of you and… congratulations on the new chapter in your lives." Daniel resisted the urge to roll his eyes; after all it was a better explanation than hey-I-thought-my-son-proposed-to-you-but-nevermind-my-bad.

Betty beamed. "That's so sweet. Thank you. Alright," she turned to Daniel. "We have to go so get some sleep and I'll be here tomorrow afternoon."

"Right," he acknowledged glad the potentially uneasy moment had passed. "I'll see you tomorrow. Get some rest yourself; I know you must be tired too."

Claire and Betty left just as a nurse was coming down the hall. Betty noticed the emerald solitaire necklace Claire wore. "I meant to tell you earlier, your necklace is beautiful," she commented.

"Thank you," Claire said glancing down. "I hadn't worn it in a while because the stone was loose. I actually just got it repaired at the jewelers. They cleaned it also; I think it looks better now than when I received it."

"It does look amazing."

"Yes, Tiffany's always does excellent work,"Claire absently replied. Something about Tiffany's reverberated in Betty's mind.

They stepped on the elevator and rode to the lobby in silence. Claire couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and crash, it had been a whirlwind the past couple days. Betty couldn't do anything except think of Tiffany's… it always had the best window displays… and those satin white ribbons on robin's egg blue boxes…her eyes widened, and that one of those boxes had been in Daniel's drawer…


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: I'm still overwhelmed by the responses I get to this story, especially now that the chapters are in the double-digits! Thank you once again for all your responses and comments- never in my life has checking my email been so much fun! Happy Reading :)_

Had she not been completely bone tired Betty would have spent the night tossing, wondering about the Tiffany's box she'd found. As it was, she only thought about in the shower the next morning, as she was getting dressed and on the way into work.

She told herself it didn't matter. That whatever was in the box was obviously meant to be a surprise and, when Daniel wanted her to have it, he would give it to her. It didn't help. She knew she was being just a _tiny_ bit obsessive-- but a jewelry box, hidden inside a drawer, was probably the one thing in the world that was bound to inspire speculation by nearly every female on the planet. Her curiosity was hardwired to her genetic composition.

Luckily once in the office, Betty had little time to think about anything besides returning phone calls and checking July's layout. The time flew by and the normalcy of the office was a welcome change from the chaos of the past three days. Finishing up her notes on a future features piece she glanced at the clock shocked the dial read 3:00 p.m. - how had that happened? She really had intended to leave by lunch time so she could give Claire a break at the hospital and check up on Daniel. Gathering up her bag and a few files she let the front desk know she was headed out and available via cell if necessary.

En route to the hospital her phone vibrated in her bag. She checked the display, 'Hilda' flashed on screen. She tapped the green acceptance button.

"Hey, how's everything in New York," Betty said by way of greeting.

"Good. I told Justin & Bobby I'd be talking to you today and they send their love," Hilda replied. "I got your message about Daniel, how's he doing?"

"Much better, he should be able to go home soon. It's been a crazy week. Oh, Claire's here now."

"Who's Claire?"

"Daniel's mom."

"Oh. I never really thought of her as a 'Claire' before. She's always been Mrs. Meade or Daniel's mom. Good name though."

"Yeah, I know what you mean; the whole first name thing is taking some getting used to."

"Have you used it yet?"

"Not to her face. Only in side conversation like the one we're having."

"I still can't get used to calling Bobby's mom by her first name. It feels weird."

"But you guys are married and she's technically family. Why would that be weird?"

"I don't know, it just is. The mother-in-law thing, ya know?"

"Not really. But I do have a whole sorta-ex-boss-thing happening here so I think the situation is comparably awkward."

"Agreed. So your message said you'd found something on Daniel? Found what?"

Betty laughed. "I didn't find anything _on_ Daniel, I found something in his room."

"You were snooping! That is _so_ something I would do!"

"What?! No, Hilda, I wasn't snooping, I was packing a bag of clothes to take to the hospital and I came across something."

"Were you actually taking something out of the drawer when you found whatever it is?"

"Yes, why?"

"Then you're right that wasn't snooping. Go on."

Betty hesitated. "I'm actually not so sure telling you is such a good idea. Just promise me you won't try and hop on the next flight out of LaGuardia, okay?"

"Why would I do something like th -"

"I found a Tiffany's box," Betty interjected. Absolute silence fell from the other end of the phone. Betty checked to make sure the call was still connected. "Hilda?"

"A Tiffany's box," Hilda repeated. "Wow. I mean… WOW."

"Yep."

"Ohmygod, this is so incredibly romantic! A ring- and he had to have purchased it before he even left for London to go after you- Bobby is gonna have to up his game after I tell him about this- I mean it has to be stunning and-"

"Wait! Hilda, I don't know what it is- I just saw the box."

"You didn't open it?"

"No, I was a little preoccupied at the time. The whole Daniel writhing in pain thing kinda took priority."

"Not even a peek?"

"Hilda!"

"What?!?! From what you said he was barely conscious, it's not like he would have noticed! I can't believe you don't know what it is!"

"Right, well now the problem is I can't seem to stop wondering what's in the box."

"That's what you get for not looking."

"Not helpful at all. I called you for advice on what to do, tell Daniel I found the box?"

"Absolutely not- he obviously wants it to be a surprise and guys don't like it when people mess with their plans!"

"Okay, so I wait. And try not to drive myself crazy in the meantime."

"You should've loo-ook-ed," Hilda said in a sing-song voice.

"Would you stop with that, please? Pardon me for not being heartless enough to ask the paramedics to wait a moment while I unwrapped and retied a jewelry box." Betty grabbed her things, paid the driver and exited the cab.

"Alright, alright fine. I see your point. The timing wasn't great."

"Ya think?"

Hilda sighed. "You only have one option, you wait."

"Somehow I had a feeling that was the answer; I guess I was just hoping for a viable alternative."

"You could always stage a break-in of his room."

"I said viable alternative, not illegal alternative." Betty stood just inside the sliding doors to the hospital.

"That's the best I've got."

"I know. Thanks for trying. Look, I'm at the hospital now but I'll call you later. Tell everyone I say 'hi'."

"Will do. Let Daniel know we hope he's better soon and you, good luck with all this."

"Thanks, I'll talk to you soon."

"Bye."

Betty headed up to Daniel's floor, apologies for being later than planned dying on her lips as she took in the scene. Fabric swatch books littered the bed and furniture catalogs overtook the small bedside table. A laptop was propped open on Daniel's lap, his cell phone to his ear and paint chips surrounded his pillow like a rainbow halo. More decorating magazines and books covered almost every available space and sample curtains draped across the foot of the bed. It looked like Martha Stewart's headquarters had thrown-up in Daniel's hospital room.

Betty gingerly stepped in the room. Claire, seated in a chair and going old school with an actual phone-book in her lap, spotted her first. "Hi, we're in the process of trying to decorate Daniel's new place. He's decided he wants to move in this weekend since the doctor told him he'd most likely be released Saturday."

"This weekend?" Betty found the only uncluttered space and laid down her things. "Isn't that a little soon?"

"That's exactly what I said," Claire responded, shooting Daniel a look as he finished the call.

He gave Betty a boyish grin that made her stomach flutter before correcting his mom. "I don't see what the big deal is. I'm able to order pretty much all the furniture online or over the phone. It'll be delivered on Friday which you," he waved a hand at his mother, "said you would oversee. The hotel has agreed to pack up all my belongings and have them couriered over to the new place. This way I don't have to go back to the hotel- I go to my new home."

Betty took a breath. "Wow. You two have been busy all day. I'm behind on the details here. Which place did you choose?"

Daniel looked uncomfortable for a second. "Bruton Place, Mayfair, W1J," he recited.

"That wasn't one of the two I thought you were considering," Betty responded slowly. In fact, it had been the house she'd loved the most but considered too impractical to recommend to Daniel. Had he known that was her favorite? "It's an amazing property. I just thought you would've wanted something… more compact."

He shrugged. "It has a great floor plan, plenty of light. The garage is hard to come by, plus the terrace. I figure with all the space it'll make it easier for people to come visit."

"Not to mention all the charming details like the wood beams in the master suite and the fabulous kitchen," Betty exclaimed. She couldn't contain her excitement.

"I went to see the property this morning and it is incredible," Claire agreed. "Once I got back we dove in to decorating since Daniel is adamant about moving in so quickly." Her cell phone rang. "Hopefully these are the movers calling back with a time, excuse me," she said, stepping away from the bed to take the call.

Betty inched closer to the bed trying not to trip on any decorating paraphernalia. She still couldn't believe it was the same house. She had thought about the house the entire time Daniel had been in with the real estate agent. She'd known it was a dream house, completely not right for Daniel, but with so much character that it had spoken to her.

He watched her face as she came near and hid a smile. He knew exactly what she was thinking. Not from the expression on her face but by the way she couldn't quite meet his gaze. When she finally stood directly next to him he busied himself with googling additional furniture stores and said mildly, "I knew."

Betty's eyes snapped to his profile in surprise. "Knew what," she asked cautiously.

Daniel looked up. "About the house. How could I not?"

"But I didn't say anything…"

"Didn't have to. The moment we walked inside you just… seemed drawn to the place. When we were looking at all the information on the properties you wanted to tell me this was your favorite," he finished.

Betty reached out for his hand. "So you bought the house because... of me?"

"Of course. I respect your opinion and it turns out it's a great investment. You should have told me it was your top choice."

"Oh, right. Well, I'm glad it worked out," she answered. Who bought a house for goodness sake just because their girlfriend happened to like it… it was crazy, she told herself. Exactly like having a ring in a Tiffany's box before you even knew if you officially had a person to buy a ring for was crazy. It wasn't as if she believed in fairytales with white horses and championing knights, and if she didn't believe she had no reason to be disenchanted. Except she was, kind of. Grabbing a magazine she focused on dining sets, everyone needed a good table and chairs.

Daniel could see the conflicting emotion flit across her face. He wasn't ready to show all his cards just yet- maybe soon, but not now. In truth he'd laid everything on line by coming to London. He didn't want to do it again until he had some idea that this time wouldn't be a one sided gesture, nor die he want her making promises with the high emotions from the past few days. He didn't know if he'd be able to endure it if she agreed to everything he wanted now, only to realize later that her choices had been rash. So he'd wait, until things calmed. For now he needed help with dish patterns.

He spun his laptop towards her. "Alright, what do you think about these two patterns?"

Betty eyed the screen. "The bottom two or the top two?"

"Top two."

Betty frowned. "Oh."

Peeking around at the screen he replied, "That didn't sound like a good 'oh'. What's wrong with them?"

"Ummm, nothing- it's just that in the 70's that color was called avocado and the pattern kind of looks like 6-6-6's all over the place."

"I like it."

She turned the screen back to face him. "Look again. Unless you're planning on hosting a satanic cult for dinner I don't think they're your best choice."

Daniel studied the pattern. "I don't see any 6's. Are you sure- -wait, oh. Damn, they are devil plates."

Betty gave him a sweet smile. "Told ya."

Claire finished her call and listened to the pair's banter. Yes indeed, she thought with a grin, they sounded like a long-term couple already…


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: …Because some of the most amazing things in life emerge from circumstances of chance…_

_Thanks for all your reviews- hugs to everyone who has been keeping up with this fic!_

_-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-  
_

Saturday evening as the sun sank low in the sky, Betty dropped onto Daniel's new toffee colored sofa. "I am too tired to move," she said, stretching her stiff arms. Claire had left less than an hour prior for her hotel, declaring she didn't think she could look at another box until tomorrow. Betty was beginning to agree.

Daniel smiled from his place next to her. "Tired? From what," he joked. He lounged against the seat, his white button down shirt open at the collar with the sleeves rolled up and un-tucked over a faded pair of jeans. He was the GQ picture of contentment.

She shifted until she could glare up at him. "Ha, easy for you to say- you got to sit and watch!" It still amazed her that they were able to almost completely decorate a house in two days using nothing but the internet and a phone- the wonders of technology.

"Supervise," Daniel corrected. "I didn't watch." She curled in close to his side careful not to jostle him. The doctors had discharged him that morning with instructions to take it easy until his follow-up visit next week. "My mistake, I guess your supervising just _seemed_ like watching," Betty informed him with a grin.

He grabbed her side making her jump as he tickled her. Betty giggled, "I take it back- you were an excellent supervisor!"

"Better believe it," he bantered. Settling back down with an arm around her shoulders, Daniel took in the current state of the house. Things were scattered. Packing peanuts littered the living room and the kitchen was a mess of dishes, pots and pans. He rested his cheek against the top of her head, it felt like a home.

Sitting up Betty reached for the phone. "What are you hungry for? I'm starved."

"You worked, you choose." He shifted carefully until he was at the edge of the cushion and could stand. "I'm going to go try and sort some of my stuff in the bedroom."

"Need any help," she offered.

"Not this time. Order something to eat; I'll be back in a minute."

Betty worriedly watched him climb the stairs. "Alright, just don't lift anything," she called after him.

Once in the master suite Daniel went straight for the dresser-- and hesitated. The jewelry box had been burning a hole in his pocket ever since his mother had handed it off to him; maybe he should have left it with her. He needed a place to hide it, but with Betty helping him unpack there wasn't a single area that was off limits. He ran a hand through his hair, eyes darting around the room before stopping on the bed, fully made with plump pillows. Perfect, he thought. All he needed to do was slide the case inside the bottom of the pillow case, she'd never know. He lifted the pillow and pulled the blue square from his pocket. Engrossed with the task at hand he never heard her approach.

"Daniel, I'm ordering Chinese, are you allowed to have fried rice or should I order white," Betty asked from the doorway, phone tucked under her chin. She looked up from the menu the same time Daniel froze, the Tiffany's box unmistakably visible in his hand.

Betty swallowed hard. "I'll have to call back," she said hurriedly, disconnecting. Daniel let the pillow fall back on the bed.

Nervously, she placed the cordless on top of the dresser and ran her palms against her jeans before coming further inside. "There's that box again," she told him awkwardly.

Daniel's eyes narrowed. "Again?"

"Yeah, I sort of stumbled across it when I was packing your stuff for the hospital. I'm sorry."

He smoothed the ribbon with his thumb. "Don't apologize. It's not as if you found the box on purpose." He paused. "Talk about an elephant in the room"

She shifted forward until she leaned against the opposite side of the bed. "I guess."

Daniel gave an empty laugh, un-clenching the case. "I seem to have very poor timing around you."

She shook her head in disagreement. "So far, I think it's been great." Could her heart beat any louder? She was certain he could hear it where he stood.

Staring across the bed Daniel tried to remember all the reasons he'd wanted to wait to ask. The other day he'd had a list, but now, nothing. Betty was pretty in jeans and a plain plum t-shirt. Her hair hung in rough waves around her face, tousled from unpacking. Her face was makeup free except for a few touches of mascara. She looked real and beautiful. Dark eyes bored in to his, dancing with hope, vulnerability and excitement. Daniel looked at the jewelry box and back at Betty. She was everything to him- he smiled during the day just thinking about her and she was the only person he trusted to always be there, circumstances be damned. When she wasn't near he ached to touch her. He was in love with her, nothing trumped that.

Maybe it wasn't the candlelight moment he'd imagined, but it was his moment none the less. He placed the Tiffany's box on the bed. "You know, when I came here I had no idea what was going to happen. I knew what I wanted, but you were the wild card. Regardless, I came prepared for whatever would develop between us." He shook his head in disbelief. "I can honestly tell you that nothing has been the way I could have imagined it. This was supposed to be a whirlwind romance where I swept you off your feet. Instead, I've been off my feet in a hospital." He stopped for a moment before continuing, "But that's you and me. Since we met nothing about us and our relationship could be described as following the norm. We were more than boss and employee- and on some level always more than just friends..."

Betty tried to breathe evenly. A girl did not want to hyperventilate when she'd waited her whole life for this, if 'this' was what she thought it was.

Daniel reached down and unwound the white ribbon from the box. She could have sworn he was moving in slow motion. Lifting the lid he extracted the velvet case, testing its weight against in his hand. He came around until he stood merely inches away. She willed her knees to stop shaking as she gazed into lake blue eyes.

Daniel grasped her left hand with his. "For the past four years, at one time or another, I've felt as if you completed a part of me that I didn't know was missing. I took that for granted until it was nearly too late. Once I realized why I needed you so much I came after you- but before I left New York I made a stop because from the minute I knew I was in love with you, I wanted to spend forever making you happy. I know this is fast and maybe a little crazy, but," he uncovered the ring that glittered from every angle. "I love you, Betty. You mean everything to me and I can't think of a greater gift in the world than you agreeing to be my wife. Will you marry me?"

"Yes," she breathed. "Yes, I'll marry you! I love yo-" Barely had the words been spoken than his lips descended on hers. The kiss was a joining of hearts and an unspoken promise of things to come. Lifting his head Daniel pulled out the engagement ring and slid it on her finger, his hand shook slightly.

Betty stared through her tears, stunned. The 1.5 carat _Legacy_ engagement ring was the most spectacular piece of jewelry she'd ever worn. The cushion cut center stone was surrounded by bead-set diamonds with pave inlaid stones on the band. It was a ring fit for a princess, which was exactly how she felt. "Daniel, it's incredible," she whispered.

He linked his fingers with hers. "It suits you. Beautiful and timeless." He lifted her hand to his lips pressing a kiss above where the ring sat. "You won't regret taking this chance on me, I promise."

Betty gave a watery laugh. "I've _never_ regretted taking chances on you." She stretched on tiptoes pressing a series of kisses to his lips.

Wrapping her up in his arms Daniel asked, "Do you want to call your family?"

She snuggled as close as she dared to his healing abdomen, measuring his offer. "Tonight it's our secret," she decided. "Tomorrow we'll share." In complete agreement he lowered his head for the kiss he wanted, one that heated her blood and made it extremely difficult to remember that it couldn't go any further.

Pulling back just enough to run a hand along his jaw and whisper another 'I love you', Betty lay her head against his chest. She remembered Hilda telling her that the night Bobby proposed she couldn't remember if it was the man or the ring that had left her more breathless. Betty pressed a kiss to Daniel's neck. _The man, sis,_ she thought with a smile, _it's definitely the man…_


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Much appreciation for all the reviews and comments- I think you all are __the best__ for continuing to read! _

Daniel didn't feel the pull and stretch at the tender healing flesh of his incision. All he felt was Betty, her fingers digging into his shoulders as he kissed her. His hands tightened against her hips molding her even tighter against him. His tongue stroked inside her mouth, awareness of need gathered around them, tightening like steel bands. He slid a hand up the curve of her body while the other encircled her waist; he- jerked his head back hissing in a breath at a sudden, sharp pain.

Betty winced in sympathy, her lips swollen, her breathing uneven at best. She should have remembered…although her mind had a nasty habit of losing all rationale when his lips hit hers. She'd have to work on that or else she'd spend the rest of her life in a dazed fog. A blissful dazed fog, but a fog nonetheless. "Okay," she asked, running a soothing hand up and down his arm. "Sit for a while."

"Maybe not such a bad idea," he agreed. Daniel unwrapped Betty from his arms, gingerly making his way to the kitchen and lowering to a chair with a grunt.

She grabbed bottled water from the fridge unsealing the top and a prescription bottle off the counter. She handed both to Daniel. "Take one," she ordered.

He made a face. "I hate those pills. I took one last night after you left. They make my head feel fuzzy."

"They're supposed to make your entire body feel fuzzy. Now take one- I can see you're hurting. You've over done it." Betty sat in the chair nearest Daniel. "We'll keep today low key, not that I didn't appreciate the welcome," she added with a half-smile.

He laughed which ended in a groan. He checked the time, three hours should be enough. Grabbing the pill bottle he shook one out and downed it. "Ugh, hopefully the numbness hits soon. I don't understand, it didn't hurt this much yesterday."

"Yesterday you were probably enjoying the aftereffects of the IV pain meds you'd been on." Betty glanced around at the yet to be stored kitchen items. "Do you want me to get started putting some of this stuff away? I'm sorry I wasn't over here sooner but Mr. Dunn wanted to have the conference call I missed the other day today, which is odd since it's a Sunday but-"

Daniel waved off her apology. "It's fine. I know you missed a lot this week taking care of me, which I appreciate."

She flashed him a grin. "It's what fiancée's do." Glancing at her ring she had to shake herself to remember it was all real. The word fiancée felt alien on her tongue.

"Hmmm, really? Well, speaking of things fiancées do… they do stay at their counterparts places thus eliminating the need for long term separation," Daniel hinted.

Betty shot him a look under her lashes. "I thought you said it was fine. Besides, Casanova, you aren't exactly in prime condition for overnight visitors and-- Daniel get that goofy look off your face, I meant _actual_ sleeping-- that means no sleepovers until you're cleared by the doctor and I don't have to worry about accidentally causing your abdomen to rupture or some other catastrophe."

"Stupid appendix," he muttered.

She shook her head in amusement. "You'll survive. Speaking of your appendix, where's your mom?" Betty glanced at her watch. "It's almost four, I thought for sure she'd be here."

Daniel didn't quite meet her gaze. "She was, earlier. I think she mentioned having some errands to run."

"Did you tell her?"

"Tell her what?"

"Daniel!"

He laughed at her exasperated expression; glad it didn't hurt this time. "Didn't you want to do it together," he hedged, making sure to not answer the question.

Betty sighed. "Yes… I guess I'm just disappointed. I mean, I tried calling everyone and no one answered. It's not as if I could just leave a message saying 'hey, guess what? I'm engaged to Daniel! Talk to you soon- bye'."

"I like that message- informative, yet brief," Daniel joked.

"Great, then call your mom and leave it on her voicemail," Betty dared.

Daniel considered a moment. "Upon further reflection, not such a great message," he corrected.

She couldn't help but smile. "Mmmm-hmmmm. That's what I thought." Getting up she headed for the counter covered with flatware. "So which cabinet do you want all this stored in?"

"Distracting yourself?" Daniel shifted in the chair, eyeballing her speculatively.

Betty bit back a sigh. It was occasionally annoying how well he knew her. "I can't make my family call me back or make your mom magically appear back here. Until we can tell someone about us I need to do something productive or else I'll burst. It's so bad that I was actually attempted to call Amanda on the way over here and let her be the first to know."

"On a positive note, all of New York would know by now if you would've told her," Daniel offered.

Betty rinsed a plate under the faucet. "New York, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut," she corrected. "Which is what stopped me from telling her. Now, which cabinet do you want the plates?"

He pointed above the dishwasher. "There is as good as any place."

She busied herself with organizing the kitchen. Daniel watched her work for a few minutes, content at just having her close. After a bit he would have relocated to the living room but the grout between the kitchen tiles seemed to wiggle when he looked at it. Obviously the pain meds were full throttle in his system. He took stock of the situation: Pain- gone; Gross motor skills- probably impaired; Chances of making it to the sofa without tripping or otherwise injuring himself- debatable at best; Decision- keep butt in current location. As the other chairs around the table joined the dancing grout he wondered what was in the pills- 'shrooms?

Betty studied Daniel. He was looking quite intently at the dining chairs. That was weird. "Daniel?"

His head turned towards her and he blink twice before grinning. "Hi, how are the plates?"

She noticed his glazed eyes and couldn't help but giggle- no wonder he didn't like the pain medication, he was high as a kite. "The plates are good, thanks for asking." She took Daniel's hand and slowly urged him up.

Leaning his weight against her as the room tilted he asked, "Where are we going?"

"I think you need to lay down for a bit. We're going to the sofa." The two stumbled into the living room. Betty made sure he landed as gently as possible on the cushions and pulled a nearby blanket to cover him. "Alright, just lay here for a bit and try to-" She didn't finish. He was already out. Hopefully, he would awake pain free and less glassy eyed.

Back in the kitchen Betty proceeded to make sense of the various types of pots and pans and find homes for colanders, whisks and the espresso machine. Time floated by and her kitchen activities were interrupted only by a few trips to check on Daniel. Finally, she stood back and admired the cleared counters, a floor free of boxes and immaculate stacks of dishes in the glass fronted cabinets. One room down and all the rest to go, she thought heading across to the room Daniel wanted to make an office.

In the reception area she stopped as a knocking at the front door drew her attention. Nothing else was supposed to be delivered so Betty debated ignoring it. But the knocking persisted, growing louder. Afraid it would wake Daniel she hurried to the door.

Twisting the deadbolt and opened the door, "Hi, can I help-" She froze. Of all the people, in the entire world, she never would have thought to imagine him here…


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except a husband and 4 cats- offers being accepted for husband! ;)

_A/N: Thanks for the reviews and to all of you who have favorite'd and marked this story for alerts! Much appreciation coming your way!_

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"Papi," Betty asked awed, throwing the door open wide. "Oh my god, how did you get here?" She launched herself into his arms.

Ignacio held his daughter tight. How he'd missed her. "Hello, mija! You have no idea how good it is to see you!" He put her arms length away to look his fill. He didn't know if it was possible but she appeared more beautiful than the day she'd left for the airport. Love, he surmised, must be responsible for that.

"What are you doing? Here... and now?!" Betty was a rush of questions. It didn't make sense. Her family was coming out at summer's start for a visit. How her father had managed to swing coming out early... Betty looked away from her father and saw Claire speaking with the driver.

Following the line of her gaze Ignacio confirmed her suspicions. "That's right. Daniel called me last night; apparently right after you left his place. He told me that if I was up to it he'd have the first available flight booked from New York to London. That man knows how to make an offer a person can't refuse. Claire picked me up at the airport and here I am." He pulled his daughter back for another hug. "Oh, I'm so happy for you. You deserve this and everything else your heart desires."

Betty stepped away. "Stop, you're going to make me cry. Come inside and sit down. You have to be exhausted from your trip." She ushered him through the reception area and into the living room. "Sit, sit, do you want anything to drink?"

"No. I'm good. Just excited to see you. How's Daniel," he asked, inclining his head towards the figure sprawled across the sofa.

"Better. I made him take a pain pill and he passed out. Hopefully, he'll wake soon."

"Any type of pain pills always did take him straight to la-la land," Claire informed them from behind. She started forward and Betty met her halfway for a hug.

"Thank you," Betty told her. "I can't believe this. It's totally unexpected and-"

Claire smiled. "Don't thank me, thank Daniel. It was his idea. All I did was handle airport transportation."

A muffled grunt from on the sofa drew their attention. Daniel opened one eye, then the other. He blinked. He'd had a dream like this once where he'd woken up to find Betty's dad staring at him. Only in the dream he'd been wearing nothing but boxers. He glanced down thankful to see he was fully clothed. Consciousness seeped into his brain erasing the fogginess.

"Oh wow," Daniel concluded swinging his legs to the floor in a motion he knew his abdomen would punish him for later. "You're early. I didn't mean to be asleep when you got here. The pain meds pack a punch."

Ignacio dismissed his apology with a shrug holding his hand out to Daniel. "You have a valid excuse, a rough few days. Besides, family doesn't need to apologize." The two shook and Betty felt a small band of tension ease. She knew her father liked Daniel, but liking him as her boss and friend was different than liking him as son-in-law material.

"I still can't grasp that you're here." Betty shook her head in disbelief as she leaned into her father. "At least it explains why no one answered the phone all those times I called!"

Ignacio laughed. "I know for a fact it was killing your sister not to pick up and tell you I was on the way. I think Bobby might've had to disconnect all the house phones and hide her cell. They send their love and will be out after the school semester ends for Justin."

"And you," Betty turned to Daniel. "This is amazing. I honestly didn't suspect anything."

Daniel grinned. "That was the point. Surprises don't work as well otherwise."

Ignacio chuckled. "Well, on our way here from the airport we stopped to pick up something to celebrate with." He moved towards the doorway that glimpsed of a dining table and chairs. "If someone will tell me where the glasses are kept-"

Claire held up a hand. "I'll get it, you all can visit." She stepped in front of Ignacio and headed towards the kitchen.

Betty jumped to follow her. "I'll help."

"I've been want to get a look at that ring of yours," Claire replied.

As their voices faded, Ignacio settled in a chair diagonal the sofa. He liked Daniel. After the way he'd seen him look at his daughter during Hilda's wedding, he couldn't say he was surprised by the turn of events. Maybe a little shocked to learn the man had left his whole life and moved to London after his daughter, but not by the emotions that had motivated the decision. And upon further reflection he wasn't that taken aback by the move either, Daniel always had been a man to get what he wanted.

The two sat quietly a few moments, listening to the quiet conversation from the other room. Daniel broke the silence first. "How was your flight?"

"Good. No problems. How's London treating you?" Ignacio leaned back against the seat cushion.

"Great. I worked for a day before getting an extended tour of St. Mary's so I unfortunately don't have much to report, aside from the obvious," Daniel answered, his shoulders tensing. Despite what he'd said in front of his daughter, Daniel wasn't positive if Betty's father considered him good enough for her.

"That's right. You're engaged to my daughter."

Daniel met the other man's gaze. "I understand if you have reservations about all of this. I get it. I'm probably not-"

"Daniel," Ignacio interrupted.

"Yes?"

"Do you love her?"

"Of course," he answered without hesitation.

"Enough to move across an ocean for her, right?"

"Right…"

Ignacio gave a satisfied nod. "That's what every father wants, their daughter loved. To be with a man who would move heaven and earth for her. Reservations? Heck, every father should be so lucky as to have a man love their daughter as much as you love Betty. Me? I'm blessed with two son-in-laws who fill the role perfectly for each of my daughters."

Daniel relaxed. "Thank you," he said humbled.

"No need to thank me," Ignacio corrected. "You earned her love and my respect all on your own."

"That sometimes still leaves me stunned," Daniel admitted, smiling as he heard his mother exclaim over the ring.

"Not a stunned as I was to hear my daughter was engaged. I just survived one wedding," Ignacio replied dryly.

Daniel laughed. "I'm sure."

"Oh! Speaking of weddings, have you had a chance to meet up with your old friend yet. I hear the divorce has been rough on him," Ignacio commented.

Daniel frowned. "Sorry, I'm not sure who you mean. Old friend?"

Hearing another bout of giggling from the other room Ignacio sighed. "The champagne isn't going to have any bubbles left if those two don't hurry up."

Leaning forward Daniel urged, "You were saying something about a friend?"

Ignacio nodded. "Right. Betty ran into a friend of yours when she first arrived here. Hilda told me about it. His name… agh, it escapes me at the moment. He's a photographer, does a lot of work in Africa… it's one of those new age names that starts with a 'B'…"

Daniel felt a large knot fill his stomach. It couldn't be. There was no way it was possible that she had run into-

"Beckett," Ignacio announced triumphantly. "Beckett Scott, I knew it would come to me! Anyways, Betty ran into him like I said and apparently he just went through a nasty divorce. No kids thank goodness. But Hilda said that when he and Betty were having dinner he was still pretty devastated by the whole thing…"

Daniel didn't hear anything past the word 'dinner'. Betty didn't even like Becks, she wouldn't have had dinner with him. And he was a long way from calling that man a friend anymore. Why hadn't she mentioned him?

"Here we are," Betty announced as they returned with champagne flutes. Claire handed one to each man, taking her own while Betty placed the tray on the table. Betty wondered if Daniel was feeling alright, he looked strained.

Ignacio began, lifting his glass, "I would like to propose a toast to Betty and Daniel. It's been a long journey but love led you to each other and blessed you with a precious gift. We wish you many happy years together and a lifetime of memories. To Daniel and Betty."

"To Daniel and Betty," Claire echoed. The group toasted and sipped their drinks.

Daniel glanced at his glass suspiciously. "This doesn't taste like champagne."

"It's sparkling white grape juice," Betty informed him. "You're mom got it. You can't mix alcohol with your pain pills." She reached out and slipped her hand into his.

"Yet another reason I don't like taking those pills," he lamented.

As the light chuckles faded, Ignacio filled in Claire and Betty. "We were just talking about Daniel's friend Beckett."

"Beckett Scott," Claire asked, nearly choking on a sip.

Daniel swirled his juice in his glass. "Yeah, Becks supposedly had a nasty divorce. He was here in London for a while." Betty felt the room grow cold. Was it possible for Daniel to know about Becks?… Wait, how did her father know about Becks?… Hilda! She bit back a groan.

"Is he still here," Claire questioned.

Ignacio swallowed and replied, "I don't know. Betty when you had dinner did he mention if he was in town permanently or just passing through?"

Three sets of eyes turned to Betty. She gave a half-shrug. "He was here for a few weeks working on a project and then he was headed out. We didn't really talk all that much." Daniel raised his eyebrows at that comment. "About work," she hastily added. "We didn't talk that much about work so I don't know what his plans were."

"Too bad," Daniel casually replied. Only Betty and Claire noticed the clipped tone of the words that otherwise appeared friendly. Betty hadn't meant not to tell Daniel… well, she had…

Drowning in the tension, Claire guided Ignacio into the kitchen offering a refill for his drink. As they moved away Betty looked up at Daniel. "I am so sorry I didn't mention meeting Becks here, I just-"

"How many times?" He stared at his glass then back at her.

"What?"

"How many times did you go out?"

Betty sighed. "Three."

"When was the last time?"

She gripped his hand tighter. "Does it really matter," she asked.

"Yes."

Betty swallowed hard. "Two days before you arrived. I haven't spoken to him since."

"I see. What happened?"

"I was in London. Alone and missing everyone. I was in the café for lunch near the office and he was there. And as much it kills me to admit it, it was nice to see one somewhat-familiar face. We chatted and he asked if I wanted to grab dinner. I agreed. We went out talked about his divorce and my job." She put her glass down and placed her free hand on his chest. "I would've told you except…except I didn't want some completely unimportant encounter with him to make things awkward. Plus, when I didn't have any contact with him after you got here…"

He slid an arm around her. "I hate this."

Betty felt a stab of fear. "Hate that I didn't tell you?"

"Maybe," he admitted. "But I was talking more about feeling jealous."

Relief washed through her. "I promise you have no reason to feel jealous," she told him seriously.

"I know," Daniel admitted. "I guess I just don't like the thought of another guy around you. Especially Becks."

Betty snuggled close. "No need to worry, I probably won't be hearing from him again. Unless of course you plan on inviting him to the wedding..."

"Fat chance," Daniel bit off.

She laughed. "Then I definitely won't be hearing from him again."

"Good," he muttered, pressing a quick kiss to her lips.

"Perfect," Betty teased kissing him back, and breaking away as Claire and her father re-entered the room. And it was she thought- everything in her life had come together. All of her exes and his were in the past. There was a clean slate stretching before them. No secrets between them, nothing standing in their way of happiness. It was what modern day fairytales were made of, minus all the wicked drama of course…


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own anything!

_A/N: For those of you missing a little bit of the games…Enjoy! :)_

By the time Wednesday rolled around all of Betty's missing wicked drama had landed firmly in Daniel's lap. He had no idea what was going on but he'd obviously pissed off the universe and now it was getting even.

On Monday, he'd received an out of the blue call from Becks wanting to meet for coffee. He would've wondered how Becks knew he was in London except for the fact that the publishing/photography worlds were tightly knit and no doubt Becks had heard of his new position with i-D. He hadn't responded to the text. What exactly did he have to say to Becks anyway?

Tuesday, he received two texts from Trista, which was positively bizarre because he'd broken up with her prior to Hilda's wedding. Why she'd be trying to get in touch with him now defied all logic. Plus, he was fairly certain she knew he wasn't in the country any more…although as Betty had once pointed out she wasn't necessarily the sharpest crayon in the box.

But today, Wednesday, had been the real winner. He'd stopped by Betty's office to take her to lunch, which had been her idea, only to find Becks there. Which would have been comical had the two not looked completely guilty. Of what he hadn't waited to find out. He knew from experience that making a fool a yourself when the office you were in had a glass wall didn't end well, so he's headed right back out the doors.

Now he wandered around London like a thundercloud. Hadn't they had a conversation not three days ago about how she wasn't going to see Becks again? Not that she'd ever been 'seeing' him, but still, the message was the same. Now here he was in her office. Maybe it wouldn't have bothered him so much if she would have told him about Becks in the first place rather than learning about it second hand from her father. Daniel kicked at loose gravel scattering it across the sidewalk, the entire week had been miserable.

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Betty stared at the door to her office fuming. Was he kidding? He just walked in, saw Becks and left? Who did that- not waiting for an explanation, not even giving her the time of day? If he would have hung on he would have seen her kicking Becks out of her office and telling him that if Daniel wouldn't speak to him he only had himself to blame. And wasn't all this Daniel's fault anyway? If he had returned Becks' request to go get coffee he wouldn't have been in Betty's office trying to get her to plead his case to Daniel.

She knew that she'd said she wasn't going to see Becks again but it wasn't as if she'd invited him to her office. He'd shown up out of the blue, unexpected, unannounced and unwanted. Seriously, should she have told Daniel about Becks from the start, yes, but never in a million years could she have anticipated this scenario. Heck, she thought heading out for some fresh air, not even Nostradamus could have predicted this. Besides, who was he to judge when he was receiving text messages from Trista, the scarecrow equivalent from the Wizard of Oz. Entering a café and ordering a latte she leaned against the counter and sighed.

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Claire loved her son and her future daughter-in-law. She also wanted to kick both of them in the butt. Ever since late Monday morning Daniel had been acting strange. Then Tuesday, Betty had started. Today she'd just received two texts, one from each of them apologizing and canceling dinner. She had no idea what was going on. Alright that wasn't true. She was fairly certain that some of this had to do with Beckett but how much or how little was a mystery. Everything had seemed fine Sunday. Apparently between now and then there had been a relationship hailstorm.

The two of them had been through so much together over the years that for the life of her she could not understand what could be causing such a problem now, other than jealousy and misunderstood feelings. And neither of those were good enough reasons to cancel dinner with your parents, thus the butt kicking- but only in a loving, supportive way. Claire thanked the driver and exited the car. Closing the door with a solid 'thwack' to ease frustration, she headed inside towards the elevators.

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Ignacio paced the rooms of Betty's apartment. He knew young love was complicated, sometimes even volatile, but lately both Daniel and his daughter had been more on edge than nitroglycerin in a paper cup. He'd called Hilda who had made him recount every detail he could remember from the past few days. Then he'd waited on the phone while she yelled at him for bringing up Becks. He hadn't known the history there otherwise he never would have broached the subject and for the record, who named a kid Becks anyway? Whatever happened to John, Tim or Charlie for goodness sake?

As he'd assured Hilda, they'd seemed fine about the whole Becks thing on Sunday. No harm, no foul. Whatever had happened over the past three days obviously was causing distress in both his daughter and Daniel. What that could be he had no idea- which meant that as much as he wanted to fix it he couldn't. His pacing was interrupted by a knock at the door, providing him a welcome distraction.

"Claire," Ignacio exclaimed. "What are you doing here?" He ushered her inside Betty's apartment taking her coat.

Claire faced him. "I just got two texts from our respective children canceling dinner tonight. Texts, not even actual phone messages."

Ignacio raised his eyebrows. "Texts?" He directed her towards the living room where they settled into opposite chairs.

"I know. However, if they're texting they don't want to risk actually speaking to anyone which means they probably aren't speaking to each other," Claire added.

Ignacio held up his hands in defeat. "What happened? I mean Hilda filled me in on the Becks history over the phone but other than that Betty hasn't mentioned anything being wrong. And they really seemed okay with everything on Sunday."

"I agree, Sunday they seemed fine. A few moments of tension when Becks' name came up but after, nothing. Something is eating the two of them and whatever it is has to be pretty bad for them to cancel dinner."

He considered her for a moment. "You have a plan," he asked.

"Of course," Claire said with a smile. 'I'll need your help though."

Ignacio laughed. "Count me in."

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Betty's phone vibrated. Reading the display she rolled her eyes. A text message. If it was from Becks she was going to beat him over the head with his own phone. Tapping the screen she read: 'TALKED TO CLAIRE, SORRY BUT DINNER IS SET- MEETING AT DANIEL'S 7:30- YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE OFFICE AFTER. LOVE, PAPI'

Resisting the urge to toss her phone into the nearest fountain she dropped it back in her bag. Great, no way out of dinner or seeing Daniel. She glanced at her ring. The thought of putting on a happy face made her want to cry.

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The beeping sound broke Daniel's musings. Glancing at the message icon that read Mom, he opened the envelope: 'MEETING AT 7:30 YOUR PLACE- TAKE A PAIN PILL AND NAP YOU'LL FEEL BETTER BY THEN.- MOM -P.S. DON'T EVER TEXT CANCEL ON ME AGAIN- AT LEAST CALL AND LEAVE AN ACTUAL MESSAGE'

He groaned scaring away two pigeons who were pecking near his feet. He really didn't want to sit through an entire meal remembering Becks in Betty's office. Considering the viability of throwing his phone under a passing car and pretending he didn't get the message, he conceded dinner. It just didn't seem like he could get out of it without being flat out rude, which would only raise suspicion. What a great evening this was going to be.

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Claire and Ignacio smiled like cats that had eaten the canary.

"She in," Claire asked.

He nodded. "Yep. Daniel?"

"Indeed he is. I'll get the arrangements taken care of." Claire stood and headed for the exit.

Ignacio helped with her coat and opened the door. "I'll make sure that everyone is where they need to be on time." He shook his head. "Sometimes it amazes me how complicated love can be."

Claire grinned, "Drama. The cornerstone to all intense relationships. It appears our two are no different."

"Apparently," he agreed. "Hopefully, they'll forgive us for meddling."

"They will," Claire replied as she headed down the hall.

Ignacio called after her, "Wait, does Daniel need medical clearance for this?"

"He'll live," she responded glibly.

Ignacio contemplated her answer as she stepped inside the elevator and smiled to himself, mothers did tend to know their children best, as did fathers…


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I still own nothing! (but if I did we would have a movie filming already- lol)

_A/N: I need to find another way to say 'thanks'- until I figure one out I'll stick with the tried and true- I appreciate all your reviews, comments, favorite-ing, alerts and PMs, you all are the best!_

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Daniel glanced in the entry mirror, adjusting his dark silver tie. Ignacio and his mother had decided on sightseeing prior to dinner, which meant he and Betty would endure the car ride to the restaurant alone. He didn't relish the thought. A rapid knock on the door drew his attention. Betty stood on the other side looking as uneasy as he felt. Under normal circumstances he probably would've told her that she looked fabulous.

The scoop neck dress falling just above her knee and draping deep in the back, the chianti color emphasizing the natural flush of her skin. He wanted to pull her close and kiss her until he felt normal again. Instead, he simply said, "Hi."

"Where is everyone," she responded. Betty told the frogs in her stomach to knock off the polka. She was displeased with Daniel, no polka-ing allowed- - even if he did have on an onyx suit that fit his lean build perfectly, showing every line of his body, a snowy shirt with platinum cufflinks and a silken gray tie that made his eyes appear more steel than blue. Repressing a sigh she gave in to the frogs. The man was too handsome for his own good.

He gestured to the Town Car parked out front. "They decided to do some touring before supper. They're going to meet us at the restaurant. You ready?"

"Of course." Betty hadn't missed the fact that he left her standing outside rather than inviting her in. Why she could still feel the sting from his actions after everything else that day was beyond her. She wished she could sink into blissful numbness for the rest of the evening.

Daniel locked the door and found Betty already at the car. Joining her, he slid in after a brief word with the driver. They sat in opposite corners, like contenders in the ring. Silence enveloped the vehicle.

Finally unable to stand it she asked, "Do you know where we're going?"

"I'm not completely sure. My mother gave the driver directions. She did tell me it wasn't far and to dress well." Making an effort to relax he rolled his shoulders. He felt like he should say something about what had happened earlier, but with the driver able to hear their every word he refrained. Once again quiet encompassed them.

It was a relief when the vehicle stopped. Stepping out Daniel glanced around confused. He met Betty's bewildered eyes with his own. They were surrounded by ships.

"Welcome to Kings Reach Moorings," Claire spoke from their left.

Daniel spun, offering her a quick kiss on the cheek. "Yeah, wow, it's amazing. But, where's the restaurant?" His eyes scanned his surroundings.

Ignacio slid his arm around Betty, "On one of these magnificent boats." He saw the misery in his daughter's eyes and hoped he was doing the right thing.

"Mom, you hired a yacht for dinner," Daniel asked incredulously. "You really didn't have to do that."

She waved him off, "Nonsense, we didn't get to have an official engagement celebration the other night, so consider this your engagement party. Come along."

Claire and Ignacio led the way to the Silver Sturgeon, the largest ship docked. The captain welcomed them aboard, leading them into the Ensign Room. Betty stared at the immaculate spread before them. A spacious table held copper charger plates, crystal flutes and gleaming silver. Two candelabras cast a soft glow against the leather high back dining chairs. An ivory sofa with deep forest pillows occupied space in front of a row of windows looking onto the Thames. Beside that an antique oak bar with up-lit shelving displayed an array of bottles boasting various silhouettes and colors. Discretely, the bartender waited for them to approach.

"It's incredible," Betty said softly. She couldn't help feeling like a fraud. All this for their engagement and everything in that department was not well.

Claire squeezed her hand. "I'm glad you like it. Daniel," she turned to her son. "Why don't you get Betty a drink while I show her father the rooftop terrace view? We'll be back in a just a minute."

Before Betty could volunteer to go with them they were in conversation and vanished around the corner. Since chasing after them would've seemed strange, she moved to where Daniel stood lounging against the bar.

"Is it going to be like this all night," she asked tiredly. She slipped her purse onto a bar stool, toying with her ring while she waited for his response. The bartender moved away behind swinging doors that she presumed led to the kitchen.

"Be like what? Quiet?" He lifted a shoulder and let it drop. "Maybe. For their sake. Maybe it's better right now. I don't want to say something I'll regret later and I don't think you do either."

Betty's eyes sparked. "I don't have anything to say that I'd regret. I just want to know why you stormed out of my office earlier today? For no reason."

A muscle in Daniel's jaw ticked. "Really? You want to do this now? They'll be back any second."

"Fine." She hated that he was right. "You're right, we wait - - Daniel!"

He gave her an odd glance. "Yeah?"

"I think the boat just moved." Betty gripped the back of the bar stool.

"It's on water, of course it moved."

"I _know_ it's on water." She shot him a look. "That isn't what I meant. I think the boat is actually sailing."

Still unconcerned, Daniel stepped away from the bar. "It's probably a dinner cruise or something. Let's go find them and ask."

He left the room leaving her no choice but to follow. Climbing the stairs to the terrace she thought it odd she didn't hear voices. Once at the top she wondered why she saw one person instead of three.

She checked the terrace. "Where are they? Exploring the ship? It's pretty large. I'll go back-"

"No need," Daniel interrupted stiffly. "They're not on the boat anymore."

"WHAT? Wait- where could they go?"

He grasped her shoulders, turning her towards the pier where both parents stood grinning like fools and waving.

"Guess we weren't as subtle as we thought," Daniel mentioned with a glare towards the docks.

"What are you talking about?"

"Us. This tension. Somehow they knew. Or at least my mom knew. Which shouldn't surprise me- she knows everything."

Uncertain Betty asked, "So they abandoned us on a boat?"

"Pretty much," he nodded. "Well, I guess we can talk now since it's only us. But first, I need a drink." He tugged her back below deck.

-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-

"Are you sure this is going to work," Ignacio asked, waving.

"Yes. They need time to talk without interruptions and no pressure from having us nearby," Claire replied. "Don't mind the death glare Daniel's shooting this way. He can only hold that look for so long before he gets a migraine."

He shrugged. "I hope Betty understands. While I've meddled before I've never actually sent her up a creek- or river in this case- without a paddle."

Claire watched the yacht grow smaller. "She'll be fine. She can swim and, one day, maybe perhaps not tomorrow, they'll thank us for this."

"We can only hope," Ignacio agreed. "I never asked, where are they sailing to?"

Claire smiled, "Oxford."

"That will be a nice trip down and back. Plenty of time to talk." Ignacio and Claire began to walk back up the pier.

"It will be a nice trip down. But I didn't book them a trip back," Claire smirked.

Ignacio stopped and gaped at her. "What? Then how on earth are they supposed to get home?"

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Still a little shocked, Betty accepted the glass of wine the bartender poured. "This is not like Papi at all," she said, sipping the chardonnay.

Daniel gave a dry laugh. "This is exactly like my mom." He took a Scotch neat and pointed towards the sofa. "Shall we?"

"Why not," she sighed. It was better than standing around in heels and arguing.

Once settled, he stared out the window at the passing London scenery. "So you asked earlier why I left? Two reasons. One, it's your office and I didn't want a scene and two, there's a saying 'if you don't have anything nice to say don't say it all'."

Betty despised his cool, practiced tone. "Rather than being nasty at my office you left? What exactly would you have said to me," she demanded.

He took a swallow of Scotch. "Not you. Becks. Although I am wondering why he was at your office."

"He was at my office because he couldn't get in touch with you. Wait, that's not true. He got in touch with you via text and apparently a few voicemails, you're ignoring him. He came to me to see if I could get you to speak with him. Funny isn't it, that the only reason he was with me today was because of you."

"I don't have anything to say to him."

"He sure has something to say to you if he's trying to get in touch with you so badly!"

"Any idea what it is," he asked, calmly meeting her eyes.

"No. How would I know?" She clenched her glass in annoyance.

"You were together, I just thought perhaps-"

"Get over yourself, Daniel! If you think something happened between Becks and I, then say it. But enough with all this passive aggressive junk you've been hinting at all week. I've told you there was nothing to us getting together- why isn't that good enough for you?" Betty placed the wine glass down before the stem snapped. "You either trust me or you don't."

"I trust you," he bit off. "But I also know Becks. Hell, I used to be Becks."

"Great. You trust me, but think I'm not smart enough to realize if Becks is coming on to me or trying to play me. Thanks."

Daniel shook his head. "You don't get it."

"Get what," she cried in frustration. "Please, explain to me why this bothers you so much! I understand I should have been upfront about him that first night we had dinner. I was happy to see you and didn't want to spoil the evening. It was a mistake. I explained why he was in my office, too. You ran off assuming… I don't know what!"

His mouth was a thin line. "I don't think you did anything with Becks. I just have an issue with you going out with him."

"That's ridiculous! You weren't even here and, again, I wasn't going out with him!"

Pushed, he snapped, "I know it's ridiculous! That doesn't change the way I feel! While I was in New York thinking I'd lost you, wishing every second that you were there, you were out with him. I was love with you and you were… with someone else!"

"Daniel, do you not think I missed you? I did. Are you upset because I wasn't sitting around every night… I didn't-"

"I know," he cut her off bitterly. "You weren't even thinking of me that way." He gave a hollow laugh. "And that's what this comes down to. On some level it bothers me. That you never saw me that way until I showed up here." He lapsed into silence. It killed him to admit it.

Betty watched him closely. "When did you know you loved me," she asked off topic.

Daniel traced the edge of his glass with a finger. "What? When? I…I felt it the night of your sister's wedding. I acknowledged it the evening after I signed your contract release and was devastated by it at your farewell party. Does it matter?"

She gave a small smile. "No, just asking. Do you want to know when I knew you could be trouble for me?"

"The night at Aura," he answered flatly.

"No. Try again."

He held up his hands. "I don't know, do we have to play this game?"

"The day you decked Matt," she informed him.

Daniel's eyes snapped to hers. "Wait? … But that…"

"The day you decked Matt was the day I glimpsed at you as more than a friend for a split second. I was yelling at you for hitting him and secretly thrilled at the same time. It was confusing. I chalked it up to how convoluted things were at the time. I tried to work out being with Matt and later to recapture something with Henry but, no matter what, those relationships would have eventually failed. You'd already made an imprint on me; I just buried it deep, unwilling to grant it any recognition. Since you arrived here you've approached 'us' as if I'm late to the game, and I've let you believe that when it isn't completely true." Betty ran her thumb across the underside of her engagement ring band, anxious for Daniel to say something.

He frowned into his Scotch. "You don't need to try and make me feel better."

"I'm not! Trista drove me crazy because she was with you. The whole making you dumb thing was- -okay, well it was kind of true- but I never would have mentioned it if a part of me hadn't been bothered that you were with her, even if that part was denied by every other fiber of my being," she argued. "You think it doesn't aggravate me that she texted you this week? It does, and she's on a separate continent!"

"Trista's texts bothered you," he asked surprised.

Betty resisted the urge to groan. "Of course they bothered me. She's your ex-girlfriend; I just pretended not to care. I get why me going out with Becks annoyed you, more than you know. I don't like the way you dealt with it, but I can commiserate with the sentiments."

"I'll agree I didn't handle it well this afternoon, or all week for that matter," he conceded. "For the record, Trista only wanted a recommendation for a modeling job. She knows I'm friends with the photographer."

"Good to know," Betty replied.

Daniel studied the flickering candle flames before giving her a ghost of a smile. "The day I hit Matt? You read me the riot act for that!"

"I know, I know, and with good reason! But," she brushed her hair off her face. "It was a faux glimpse of how I could imagine you acting as a boyfriend and…" She trailed off flushing. "Okay, this is why I think I didn't want to share this with you. It's kind of…"

"Sweet," he supplied. "And in a way reassuring. Nice to know I wasn't the only one struggling with emotions."

"Mmmm-hmmm. To be fair I should have told you sooner. I kept it to myself because I wasn't ready to be that honest, to be that exposed," she explained.

Leaning forward he watched her intently. "I know. Feeling like you're completely bare in front of someone is frightening. And if my behavior is any indication makes you a little insecure. Something I'm not too proud of."

"You, insecure? Not the way I usually think of you." Betty placed her hand lightly on his forearm. "Not the way you need to be. You have all of me, Daniel."

Covering her hand with his own he rested his forehead against hers. "Forgive me for acting like a jealous idiot?"

Laughingly she answered, "As long as you forgive me for omitting a few key points about Becks and the whole punching Matt incident."

"Deal." He lowered his head until his lips barely brushed against hers. "I've missed you the past few days."

"Me too. Everything got complicated. We were supposed to be on top of the world and instead it felt as if things were falling apart. No wonder our parents hostage'd us on a yacht!"

Daniel chuckled. "That they did. Remind me to thank them someday."

"I will, just not today." Betty laid a hand against his jaw. "Promise me something?"

"Anything."

"Please call Becks and find out what he wants, otherwise I fear he will never leave me alone!"

Daniel groaned. "Really?"

"Yes! I don't need anymore surprises at work." She rested back against the cushions.

"Fine. For you I will call him. Now enough about Becks. Are you hungry? I'm pretty sure the staff around here are more than ready to serve supper." Daniel glanced towards the kitchen doors.

Betty tugged his head back around. "Maybe in a bit," she answered. "For a minute though, I think we should make up for lost time."

"Lost time," he echoed, as her meaning sank in. "Have I ever told you that you have the best ideas?"

She laughed as he kissed her, "Not nearly often enough."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Own nothing!

_A/N: As always a huge, giant thank you to everyone!_

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As the server removed the last of the dessert plates Betty eased back against her chair, sighing with pure contentment. "That had to be the most incredible vanilla-white chocolate-raspberry cheesecake ever!"

"It was unbelievable," Daniel agreed. "Want more coffee?"

"No, I'm good. Thanks."

Standing up he stretched his shoulders. "I wonder what now? We've been docked for a little bit, I guess we should be heading back soon."

"We've been docked," she asked in surprise. "I hadn't even noticed. Any idea where?"

"Someplace called 'Perch Inn Moornings'," he replied, pointing to a marquee visible through the ship window.

Betty followed his gaze. "Maybe we should find out how long we're going to be here. It's getting kind of late."

"Yeah, I'll go ask the Captain." Daniel started out of the room only to back up as the man in question entered.

"I hope your meal was acceptable," the Captain asked in lieu of a greeting.

Betty smiled. "It was delicious, thank you."

"Exceptional," Daniel added. "Truly. I think you may have spoiled us for all other dining in London."

The Captain chuckled, "Glad to hear it."

"Speaking of London," Daniel continued. "When do we head back?"

The Captain jovially shook his head. "We're not going back. This was a one way dining cruise."

"One way," Daniel repeated. He quizzically looked to Betty who appeared just as perplexed. "There must be some mistake. We should be headed back to London. It's where we live."

"I understand," the Captain replied. "However, when this excursion was booked implicit instructions were given that it was one-way."

Daniel reached for his wallet. "There must have been some confusion. I'll just pay you for whatever the cost is to sail us back to London."

The Captain slowly smiled. "It wasn't a mistake. Mrs. Meade- I'm assuming she's your mother- paid for _us_ to return to London. She gave specific orders that the two of you were not allowed to be brought back and should be left here."

Betty stared at him. "Where's here?"

"Oxford," the Captain answered. "A beautiful little city that I think you two will find quite charming." The couple gaped at him as though he'd descended from another planet. To ease their concern he pulled two enveloped from inside his breast pocket. "She did leave a letter for each of you which I was informed should help clarify the situation."

Daniel accepted both letters, passing to Betty the one addressed to her in his mother's bold script.

"I'll leave you to read them and proceed from there. I'm glad you enjoyed your evening and good luck to you in the future," the Captain said as he headed out.

Gingerly fingering the envelope, Betty looked to Daniel. "I guess we should read them?"

"No time like the present," he responded, sliding his finger under the flap. Betty followed suit and the ripping of paper resounded loudly. Taking a deep breath, they each began to read...

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_Daniel-_

_No, I'm not crazy. This entire arrangement was orchestrated because you two needed to talk away from all the pressures and complications of London. At this point I hope you have worked things out because, if you're reading this, you know you don't have a ride home. _

_I'm sure you're wondering what is going on and why you're in Oxford. A couple years back my investment adviser recommended I diversify my portfolio- international real estate, domestic company partnerships and a variety of other things. For the next few months I was bombarded with, and bored to tears by, all sorts of supposed opportunities. Nothing interested me as something I wanted my name linked to. _

_I decided to do some research for investment properties on my own. Places I actually wouldn't mind owning. In the process I came across Hawkwell House and it was as close to fate as any experience I have ever had. You see Daniel, you know all about the tangled relationships of the Meade family through the recent generations- mine, your father's. What you don't know much about is how the Meades came to be, where it truly all began, in the place you are now- Oxford. I suppose up until this point, I didn't think you'd appreciate knowing this part of your history. It's a story for the ages, one that I think you and your bride-to-be will one day want to tell your children._

_Hawkwell House is where you will stay for tonight, the address is on the back of this letter. Take Betty there and tomorrow discover your history together. After all, once you're married it will be her history too._

_All my love,_

_Mom_

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_Dear Betty-_

_Take a deep breath and don't be upset with your father. While he was complicit in arranging the dinner, this part is all my own doing. _

_For the longest time I watched you and Daniel grow together. On more than one occasion I was amused at how you two could share everything with each other but always manage to give your hearts to someone else. When you finally gave your hearts to each other, you stopped sharing. My and your father's hope was that this cruise would give you a chance to clear the air. If you're reading this, I anticipate that is exactly what happened. _

_Don't worry about work, I contacted Mr. Dunn and he was more than willing to allow me the privilege of being guest editor for the next two days. I'm actually rather excited! _

_Oxford is where the Meade family history truly begins. I believe as you walk in the footsteps times gone by you'll understand why I wanted you and Daniel to experience this together._

_Love,_

_Claire_

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Betty carefully folded her letter while Daniel turned his over to see the address for Hawkwell House.

Running his thumb across the page he couldn't help but imagine what history his mother wanted them to uncover. "Up for an adventure," he asked.

Betty came to stand next to him, sliding her arm through his. "She did mention a part of your history in my letter," she admitted.

Slowly, Daniel replied, "Mine too. We never really spoke about the family tree. I knew my grandparents for a while but other than that…"

"I deduce we're going to figure it out."

"I guess so," he answered. "Come on, my mom apparently has a room booked for us at Hawkwell House. We'll crash there and figure everything else out tomorrow."

Gathering her purse, Betty took his outstretched hand. "Alright, let's go. You know where this place is?"

He held up the page. "Not exactly but I have an address and, if I know my mother, there is probably a car waiting for us when we exit the pier." Disembarking from the yacht they walked towards the marina entry.

"Your mom thought of everything," Betty stated.

"Let's just hope she remembered a change of clothes."

"And pajamas."

"Really? I'd be okay if she skipped those."

"Daniel!" Betty blushed slightly as they approached the car. By the way the driver appeared to be biting his lip she was fairly certain he'd heard the exchange.

Chuckling he helped her inside, confirming their destination with the driver. Once en route they barely had time to settle back before the car slowed and stopped in front of Hawkwell House. Betty took in the clean lines and smooth curves of the white house. While it difficult to see all the details in the night lighting, the stateliness of the residence could not be denied.

Leading her through the entry and out of the cool air Daniel checked them in, partially dismayed when he was handed two room keys. "Thank you," he told the attendant.

"Thanks," Betty said hiding a giggle when Daniel handed her a key. "Something bothering you," she teased.

Daniel shot her a disgruntled look as they headed up to their rooms. "Just wishing my mother wasn't quite so efficient."

This time Betty couldn't hold back the giggle. She unlocked her door and stretched up to place kiss against his lips. "Night, Daniel."

A beleaguered sigh escaped him. "Goodnight. If you need anything I'm next door- right next door."

"Got it," she confirmed, stepping inside and closing the door slowly.

Daniel glanced at his shoes. "You're really going to leave me out in the hallway aren't you?"

"Yep," she answered from the other side of the door. "You have a room."

He glanced at the door not eight feet down the hall. "Fine… okay… well, goodnight. I love you."

"I love you too," she answered softly.

He waited. "Still not opening the door, huh?" He heard her laughter and its subsequent fading as she walked further into the room. Left with no choice Daniel went to his room.

Inside he found that his mother had indeed thought of everything. Jeans, shirts, sweatpants and two sweaters covered the bed along with boxers, t-shirts, socks and a jacket. Daniel reached for a pair of sweatpants and headed for the shower.

He stripped while the water heated. Yanking a towel off the rack he wrapped it around his hips and went back to the bed for a pair of boxers. A sound from the middle of the wall caught him completely off guard.

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In cotton shorts and a long sleeved Oxford University t-shirt, Betty stood organizing the clothes Claire had delivered. She grabbed two shirts that needed hangers and headed for the closet. Draping the garments over her arm she turned the knob and stumbled back a step in surprise.

"Well, hello," Daniel said, overcoming his initial shock.

Betty stared at him. "Why are you in my closet in a towel?"

Daniel burst out chuckling. "I hate to break this to you but this isn't your closet. The rooms must have connecting doors to accommodate families."

She swallowed- hard. It was simpler to deny his raw masculinity when he was fully clothed. As it was, the towel sat low on his hips, drawing that much more emphasis to his flat abs, muscled chest and shoulders. He was quicksand and she was sinking fast.

"Betty?"

She raised her eyes to his face; her cheeks stained a dark cherry. "What- oh- uh…. Sorry… I'm going to go find my closet. Bye." She slammed the door burying her face in the clothes.

She tried to will the image of Daniel out of her mind; unfortunately it seemed to have been burned into her retinas. She'd been doing the honorable thing, thinking of him as her injured, still-recuperating fiancé who was under medical activity restriction. It had made it easier to ignore the fact that every time he touched her she caught her breath and that when he looked at her she felt her insides quiver… easier to deny the fact that she wanted him.

With a groan she plopped on the bed. _Hello sleepless night, my name is Betty_, she thought helplessly…


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Own nothing!

_A/N: This chapter is not exactly what it seems at first…so if you feel like stopping at a certain point, keep going- lol _

_P.S.- Sorry this chapter is short, but I had to extract it from the next chapter because that one was getting too long! Anyways, I hope you enjoy it regardless of the length!_

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Freshly showered, Daniel stood next to his bed turning a pillow in his hands. With a small upwards tilt of his lips he glanced at the adjoining door. Tossing the pillow back he headed for the door easing it open slowly. Half-way he stopped.

"Hey," he said quietly, leaning his weight against the doorjamb. It had never occurred to him before that a long sleeve tee and cotton shorts could be hotter than even the most expensive lingerie.

Mid-stroke in brushing her hair Betty spun around. "Daniel," she exclaimed nervously. "What…what are you doing here?" His hair was still damp from the shower, a few stray water droplets clinging to his shoulders. Jeans sat low on his hips, shadows emphasizing the ridges and valleys of his abdomen. His eyes darkened beyond a shade she'd ever encountered, more brilliant than a midnight blue but just as dark.

"Visiting," he quipped, closing the door behind him.

Involuntarily she stepped back. "Oh, okay. Visiting is good."

He came towards her steadily until she could feel the heat radiating off his body. Her pulse fluttered as he took the hairbrush from her and placed it on the dresser.

Worrying her bottom lip she gave one half-hearted attempt at reason. "We should wait til-"

"Long enough," Daniel cut her off. For the space of a heart-beat his lips hovered above hers. As they touched, the sweet taste made him moan low in his throat. Daniel wrapped his arms around her and held on tight. No fantasy in the world was as perfect as the real thing. She parted her lips in silent invitation which was more than he could resist. Touching his tongue to hers he felt her shiver. She leaned closer so they touched from shoulder to thigh.

Betty felt the hard muscles of his back bunch and smooth under her palms. Her fingers traveled upwards to massage his neck, biting as he pressed kisses along her jaw to her shoulder where the t-shirt had slid askew.

"You are everything to me," he whispered. She pulled back to study his expression. He had no idea what she was looking for but knew he was laid bare for her. Every thought, every feeling, was there for her to see. He had no defenses.

He embraced the heat that liquefied brown eyes. She cupped his jaw and tugged his mouth to hers brushing her moist lips to his. This time she made the advance invading and exploring. He met her touch for touch enjoying the fire that danced between them. His blood swirled, molten and pounding. He dropped his hands to her waist pulling her tighter against him as he slid his hands under her t-shirt divesting her of the garment.

She pressed kisses to his collarbone and he felt the dampness of her mouth on bare skin. His body tensed. Stroking his hands up and down the silky smoothness of her back he tilted her head up gazing into eyes filled with trust and desire. It was a heady combination.

"I want you," he rasped, feasting on the hollow of her throat. "Now. In bed. With me."

A brilliant flush covered her skin at his words. "Daniel," she exclaimed breathlessly, both embarrassed and seduced.

"Like it wasn't what you were thinking," he whispered with a wicked grin, walking her backwards until he gently tackled her onto the bed. She never had a chance to reply.

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Early morning light seeped in between the curtains. Daniel shifted, pulling closer the soft warmth beside him. As the bundle gave a sleepy protest he opened his eyes.

Betty lay nestled beside him, arms wrapped around an extra large pillow. He watched her lashes give a flutter against her cheeks before lifting.

"Morning," she offered shyly, tugging her t-shirt hem down.

Daniel shifted. "Hey, how'd you sleep?"

"Great," she replied stretching. "How are you feeling?"

"You mean since you decided to try a few muay thai kickboxing moves on me last night," he joked, glancing down at his abdomen.

She groaned apologetically. "I am so sorry. The whole falling back on the bed… it was a reaction- my knee went up and…"

He laughed. "I'm thankful it didn't connect anywhere lower."

"Haha. At least then you might've recovered faster. You were paler than these sheets for a good forty minutes.

"I was trying to remember how to breathe."

She winced looking at the angry red mark against his skin. "I really am sorry. For kneeing you and for messing up the night. I just-"

He twisted a strand of chocolate hair around his finger. "No apologies. After all I'm the one who should've known better than to 'tackle' anything after major surgery. We'll get it right next time." He pressed a quick kiss to her lips.

"Okay," she sighed.

"Now up," he ordered. "We have a family mystery to solve and I for one am starving." He climbed out of bed, pulling the covers off her as he rose.

She eyed him speculatively. Nodding to the bedding she asked, "Are you gonna give those back?"

"Not a chance!"

"Okay, okay- fine. But at least a shower before food. Meet you downstairs in twenty?" She grabbed a change of clothes and headed for the bathroom.

"Deal," he replied opening the door between rooms. "By the way, need any help in there," he called.

Betty's laughter floated across the room. "See you downstairs, Daniel- twenty minutes."

He closed the door with a shrug and a sigh, trying to think of anything but showers...steamy mirrors... gorgeous dark-haired fiancees... and... Sliding a hand through his hair, Daniel eyed the bathroom doorway of his room wondering just how cold the water at Hawkwell House ran.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Own nothing!

_A/N: Sorry this took so long to post. I had the worst cold ever this week and could barely keep my head up. And yes, Daniel is up to something but it's probably not what you think- lol _

_Happy reading and thank you all so much for sharing your enjoyment of this story!_

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Nancy Winters settled her portly figure into a chair at the table just as Daniel and Betty were finishing their breakfast. With a face full of smile lines, eyes that crinkled at the edges, gray hair pulled back into a soft bun and an apron tied around her waist, she was a Norman Rockwell grandmother.

"Hello, I'm Nancy, manager of this establishment. How was everything," she asked eyeing the now empty plates.

Daniel spoke first. "Great, I don't think I could eat another bite. I'm Daniel Mea-"

Nancy waved him off with a smile. "I know exactly who you are. Daniel Meade, his mother's pride, worry and joy, and you my dear," she turned to Betty. "You must be his lovely fiancée, Betty. Mrs. Meade told me you all would be stopping by and that maybe I could fill in a few details of the Meade family history to get you started. I have a few spare moments now that breakfast is over if you all are interested." She raised her eyebrows as if daring them to decline her offer.

"That would be wonderful," Betty enthused.

"Well then," Nancy began. "Meade is a common enough English surname, been around since at least the 1200's, but what your Mrs. Meade wanted you to know is all about Charles Meade and Anna Easton. She told me about you two love birds and, while Charles and Anna's story might not be exactly like your own, there are some interesting similarities."

"What similarities," Daniel asked, leaning his forearms against the table edge.

Nancy winked. "I think that's what she wanted you to discover for yourself. However, I can tell you that Anna Easton was from right here in Iffley Village. Back in 1890 it truly lived up to its title of 'village.' Now your ancestor Charles Meade resided in Oxfordshire and was the second son of William Meade. Charles was a barrister but was more at ease being a scoundrel and chasing skirts than practicing law."

Betty shot Daniel a teasing glance. "I see similarities already."

"I'm reformed," he replied easily.

Unfolding from the chair Nancy added, "The first place you'll want to go is the Oxfordshire Studies Central Library. They'll have all the vital data on Anna and Charles and perhaps some other information you'll find useful."

"Thank you so much. We really appreciate you sharing what you know," Daniel told her.

"I know more than that my dear but I know when to hold my tongue. Now off with the two of you, I've a kitchen to look after."

As Nancy shooed them out of the dining room, Daniel grabbed Betty's hand pressing a quick kiss to the palm. "I'm guessing we're headed to the library?"

She shrugged trying not to blush at the intimate contact. "It seems as good a starting place as any."

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Less than forty minutes later the couple sat buried in books and microfiche looking for Anna Easton and Charles Meade. Daniel took the books while Betty handled the microfiche.

"There are way too many 'Eastons' in here," he commented, turning to the fifth page. "And it would have been nice if they were alphabetized by last name, first name- instead of all clumped together."

"Perhaps their 'A-Z' sort feature was broken that day," she replied dryly.

Daniel looked up with a smirk. "Oh- I see, make fun of my suggestion- - and just how are _you_ doing over there?"

She sighed. "Not good. There really are a lot of 'Eastons' and a lot of 'Meades'- not all spelled the right way but still…"

"Hey," he exclaimed. "I found her. Anna Easton from Iffley Village!"

Betty abandoned her seat and came to lean over him, resting her hands lightly on his shoulder. "It says that she… was the youngest daughter of Elizabeth and John Easton. John Easton was a shopkeeper and his wife and daughter were employed by the… I can't make out that word."

"It starts with an 'M' and the word after it is-"

"Family. Meade family! Anna and her mother worked for Charles' family! Does it say what she did?"

The two skimmed the rest of the small faded print but came up with nothing. A final sentence caught Betty's eye. "Wait, here- the very last line. Says 'Miss Anna Easton left for Paris on Sunday, April 27, 1890.' That's strange. It's her maiden name and… what type of article is this anyways?"

"It looks like some type of announcements page," Daniel offered. He pulled another book from under a pile.

"This book is supposed to have manifests for all ocean liners from 1890- 1895. If she went by sea she should be listed. Maybe he went with her? Some clandestine romantic trip," he theorized.

Betty helped clear a place to lay the book flat. "It's a possibility." Skimming the index they cross-referenced the departure date with ships embarking from Oxford.

"Nothing," Betty said finally. "Maybe the ship left from London." They perused the index again, this time with success.

"Here, the _City of Paris_, departed for Paris on April 20, 1920," Daniel stated, flipping to the referenced pages to see the manifest. They squished heads together searching the passenger list.

"Found Anna," Betty told him, placing her finger next to the name.

Daniel shook his head. "No Charles Meade listed on here." They shared a long look.

Finally Daniel shrugged, "This doesn't make much sense. If Anna left England and Charles didn't go with her..."

"We know that Charles and Anna got married, right? What if we work backwards and start with finding a marriage certificate or license or whatever and go from there," she suggested.

"Maybe, but we don't know what year they got married."

"It has to be 1890."

"She was in France in 1890."

"She left in April, that's more than enough time to get back to England and get married before year's end."

"Didn't the trip take months or something," he asked absently.

Betty giggled. "To Paris?"

"Okay, maybe not that long…"

A stately gentleman of considerable years approached the table. "Excuse me, I don't mean to intrude but I couldn't help but over hear you talking about Charles Meade and Anna Easton a bit ago. Might I ask why you're researching them?"

"I'm Daniel Meade, this is my fiancée Betty. Apparently, Charles and Anna are my ancestors and we're here to find out more about them." He stood offering the other man his hand.

"Thomas St. James, Oxford University professor of literature, pleased to meet you. The story of Anna and Charles is a story that was told for many years in Iffley Village. It faded as time went by but back in the day it was every girl's fairytale."

"Fairytale?" Betty gestured to the books. "All we've been able to find so far is that Anna left for Paris."

Thomas nodded. "That she did. Did you know she worked for the Meades?"

"Yes, someone mentioned that. They didn't say in what capacity though," Daniel replied.

"She was a gifted seamstress. Fashion for the elite was as necessary as food and water to the rest of the people and English society was very unforgiving to those who did not live up to their status."

"Can you tell us anything else," Betty asked.

Thomas smiled. "If you want to know the full story I suggest asking the librarian to see the sequestered historical documents. She should have more than a few items that will satisfy your curiosity. I need to be off now, but good luck with your discovery."

"Thank you so much for your help," Betty told him warmly.

She turned to Daniel as Thomas left. "At least we now have a direction to go on. Let's go see what documents they have."

They sought out a young librarian. "Hi, we were wondering if we might take a look at the sequestered historical documents. Anything pertaining to my ancestors Charles Meade and Anna Easton," Daniel asked.

The librarian smiled, "You must be excited to learn your family history. You are more than welcome to read any documents we have, but the items you're requesting access to must be kept in a temperature controlled room for preservation. Follow me."

Betty squeezed Daniel's hand as they kept pace with the librarian down a side hall and into a room with four glass walls and lined with hundreds of books. "I'm really excited to know more about them," she said breathlessly.

"Me too," he admitted as they were ushered inside.

The librarian gestured to a table. "Have a seat and I'll go get you the materials on file." She scurried away before they could reply.

While waiting, Daniel drummed his finger on the table. "There must be books in here that are hundreds of years old," he whispered.

"I know. Can you imagine some of the historical figures who held them? Who wrote them?" Betty gazed at the rows letting her mind wander.

"Here we are," the librarian said returning to the table. "I thought you'd want to start with these." She placed four small books on the table and a stack of what looked like envelopes tied with twine. "Please wear these when handling the materials." She handed each of them a pair of white cotton gloves.

"What are these books," Daniel asked. "They don't look like the ones on the shelves."

"They're not. These were donated to the historical archives years ago by Charles and Anna's daughter who found them tucked away. They're the original journals of each, as well as some family letters. If you want to know about them, here is the best place to start."

Gently Daniel pulled a journal towards him. The black cover was marred and the right upper edge curled inwards. Betty watched him trace a finger over '_**Charles Meade'**_ branded in the cover before reaching for one of the other journals. This one was simple, more a plain notebook with '_Anna Easton_' written in perfect penmanship across the front.

Exchanging a smile of anticipation, they each opened their covers, going through the entries…

_**28, February1890**_

_**Blast the indulgence of spirits from last evening. I have done nothing but suffer for it today! My head aches as do my teeth. I doubted the latter could even ache from too much alcohol.**_

_**I saw Anna which did nothing to improve my disposition. I simply cannot have feelings for her. Therefore I won't. Her employment with my family is reason enough alone not to ponder such a train of thought. She is not what is expected for a man of my position. What does it matter if she has eyes that see to my soul? It cannot be and thus I drown myself night after night to forget that what I desire most is most unsuitable.**_

_17, March 1890_

_Why am I wishing on things that shall never be? Master Charles stopped me in the main hall today commenting on the weather. I know he was being polite, as is his nature, but I swear I could see in his eyes that he wanted to say more, fanciful thinking I suppose. _

_How foolish I am! To feel for a man who would have no interest in me. I am plain and unsophisticated compared to the others he socializes with of his class and inexperienced when held against those he fraternizes with at the most disreputable of establishments. And yet my heart cannot help but shiver when our eyes meet._

_**29, March 1890**_

_**Anna Easton should not be allowed to haunt me as she has done for so long! Tonight she departed late from her duties and I caught her in the garden by pure coincidence . The moon must have cast a spell on both of us. My intentions were most honorable, to ask if she needed an escort home. **_

_**Between my question and her reply my lips drew to hers. She tasted sweet. Lest I completely forget myself I drew back and apologized for my indiscretion. She hurried away most seemingly in horror at my blatant overture. I must overcome this pull she has on me.**_

_29, March 1890_

_He kissed me! For tonight was truly magical. His lips touched mine and I thought my heart might take flight. He did not seem to have overindulged which was my initial thought and indeed, he did not smell of spirits. Even if nothing more shall come of us other than this kiss, it is enough to sustain my dreams!_

_**10, April 1890**_

_**I believe Anna to be part gypsy for one brief taste should not make a man insane. How many women must I pretend to be entertained by in order to forget! I have avoided her successfully and still she haunts my dreams. Why can I not set aside my feelings despite rationally understanding their impropriety? Curse her for causing this!**_

_18, April 1890_

_Wretched man! He escorted Lady Abigail into the gardens and away from the other guests. Everyone spoke of the beautiful couple and hinted that an announcement concerning their future should be forthcoming. I knew my dream was just that, we have barely exchanged two words since that night in the garden. I suppose at some point every girl must grow and learn that fairytales must fade._

_Mother has been on me to consider accepting the offer in Paris to be an exclusive dress maker for President Marie François Sadi Carnot's wife. While I certainly would miss my family, it is an adventure, an honor and an escape from Master Charles' inevitable wedding plans._

Betty suspiciously gazed across the table at Daniel. "What was he doing in the garden with Lady Abigail," she demanded.

Daniel stared at her in bewilderment as he lifted his head, "Whose Lady Abigail?"

"You mean she's not mentioned?"

"No, at least not yet." He turned a few pages ahead scanning for 'Abigail.'

Betty rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile. "It's fine, forget it, she probably won't be mentioned," she replied as she went back to reading.

Daniel waited a moment, watching emotions flicker across her face before he continued to read. He really hoped his ancestor wasn't putting him in the doghouse.

_**22, April 1890**_

_**She is leaving! I heard from my mother this afternoon who is most dismayed to be losing such an accomplished seamstress. Leaving? I saw her in the hall just yesterday and she mentioned nothing! Mother sensed my irritation at the news and inquired as to my foul reaction. I informed her that the position of Anna held no consequence to me. And it does not. Mother did not seem convinced.**_

_**France! If that is where she wishes to venture, fine. It is her desire to be away **__**from me**__**, from her family, it is her choice.**_

_26, April 1890_

_Today I bid farewell to the Meades. They were all so kind with their good wishes. Master Charles was not present. I did so hope to have one last glimpse of him before I departed but perhaps this is for the best. _

_Tomorrow I shall be on my way to France, a new place with new possibilities. In time I believe my heart will mend._

_**27, April 1890**_

_**Anna's ship disembarked today. She is gone. Why this should leave me hollow I do not understand. She is a slip of a girl, nothing remarkable. Yet she always made me smile upon approach and could calm even the most savage moods with a gentle word. I am unsure how a world without her shall be… **_

Daniel closed the journal to find Betty watching him.

"The rest of its blank- isn't it," she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, how'd you know?"

"Mine's the same way."

"We know kind of what happened but nothing about her life in Paris," he said, leaning back against his chair.

Betty's lips quirked. "I don't think her life in Paris matters. I think it's his life in Paris that matters."

"What? You think… That's crazy."

"Oh yes, I think that Charles Meade went to Paris after Anna," she supplied with a grin.

"No way. I think they hooked-up someplace entirely different."

"Hooked-up? You sound so Edwardian," she teased.

Daniel chuckled. "Fine 'encountered-each-other' is that better?"

"Getting there. I'm guessing the answer to whether or not he went after her is in these other two journals and letters." Betty reached for the stack but Daniel's hand pinned hers to the table.

"If you're so sure that Charles went to Paris after Anna, let's make this interesting," Daniel queried.

"Interesting how," she asked slowly.

"Winner gets one thing, one adventure, one whatever they want tomorrow," he stated, matching her gaze dead on with his own.

Betty raised her eyebrows at the intensity in his eyes. "That's vague."

"Keeps it edgier. Come on, you think you're right so what's the risk," he chided.

"Fine," she conceded. "Just remember when this is over that it was your idea for a wager."

"I will," he answered, grinning.

Betty grabbed Anna's journal while Daniel picked up Charles' and began to read. He really hoped his ancestor didn't let him down…


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_A/N: Glad you're enjoying the story and thanks so much for your comments. Just remember that history repeats itself and can be a great foreshadowing of future events... :)  
_

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Daniel returned to the sequestered references room after a brief absence as Betty slid away her phone.

"Who called," he asked.

"Oh, no one. I was just checking the time."

Sliding back into his seat he resumed his perusal of Charles' journal. A quarter of the way through Anna's, Betty laid her palms on the table. "She left Paris for Scotland with the President and his wife. No mention of Charles showing up either. Maybe he didn't go after her; I-"

"Not so fast," Daniel interjected. "Listen to this." He read aloud one of Charles' entries.

_**11, June 1890**_

_**Talk about Anna is rampant around the manor. Here is a name I had placed out of my mind but was never far from my heart. She is to be in Scotland within a fortnight as part of her duties. At the unexpected moment just before sleep encompasses me I cannot help but wonder if she thinks of me. **_

_**The past weeks have been void of all color without her presence. Even if I never laid eyes on her throughout the day knowing she was here gave me serenity. I have asked myself over and over if she returned, if I was given a second chance to say farewell, would I have let her go. At the time of her departure I believed our lives were too separated to ever intersect. Now, I would give up status and privilege to have that minute returned to me. To tell Anna how I felt, how I still feel. **_

_**She is to be in Scotland. Not a far journey. A risky one where the heart is concerned, but what do I truly sacrifice in this material world? Not a thing of importance. **_

"He did go after her," she exclaimed. She turned a few pages of Anna's book. "What was the date on that entry again? I can see what she wrote around the same time…"

Daniel closed his journal. "No."

"No?" Betty glanced at him in surprise. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," he admitted, sliding off his gloves. "It's just… I see the similarities and I get the connection, it's kinda cool that over a hundred years apart I sort of followed in Charles' footsteps. We know he went after her, that if I'm here and Meade publications exists they were married and moved to the U.S. Do we really need all the details? It just feels like learning more would remove the mystery, the excitement."

Betty considered. "It's your family and your choice. But, are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am. At least for now. I want to finish writing more of our own story before knowing the rest of theirs." He shrugged, keeping his eyes downcast as he removed his gloves.

"You have something else in mind to focus on," she asked.

His lips tilted up. "How well you know me."

She laughed, standing to stretch her legs. "Alright, what is it."

"If you recall we made a wager. You said Paris and, as luck was on my side, it wasn't Paris," he told her coming around to wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"I remember," she replied slowly. "Winner gets adventure of their choice tomorrow."

He led her outside the library to the front steps where they both blinked in the sun. "Right. Well, one thing I've learned from Charles is that the man wasted too much time. That being the case I'm moving my activity of choice up to today."

"Today. Okay, fine. Where are we going?" Betty gave him an expectant look that he returned with a grin as he opened the car door. With an amused sigh she climbed inside.

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Twenty-five minutes later the car pulled to a halt in front of Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons. Betty stepped out with deep admiration for the scene laid before her. The stone building rose amidst lush green lawns and gardens, the front façade covered with trailing ivy. It was somewhere between a castle and palace.

Daniel stood next to her reaching for her hand. "What do you think?"

"I think I've never seen a place this perfect and beautiful. It doesn't even look real. What are we doing here?"

They started up the walk veering to the left as they neared the front door and heading down a path to a luscious garden. "Planning," he replied, settling on a bench. Pulling her down beside him he kissed her gently breaking apart as a man approached handing Daniel a book.

"Mr. Meade, as instructed the pages are marked." With a polite nod he turned and left as quickly as he approached.

Betty leaned back to look up at Daniel. "What's this?"

He chuckled. "You know when I came after you I wanted everything to be perfect. Don't laugh but I wanted to give you a fairytale and so far, well, let's just say you've gotten more of a reality show."

"Hey, I love my reality show!"

"And you have no idea how glad I am to hear you say that. This is for you." He handed her the book opening it to the first tab. "Pick one," he instructed.

Betty stared at the marked tabs indicating months for the next year and a half. "This is a giant reservation book."

"Exactly. I want you to pick a date. Any date. It doesn't matter when and it doesn't have to be here but my activity of choice is that we choose a wedding date."

Betty scrutinized at the book a minute before turning to Daniel. "Okay, done."

He twined their fingers squeezing her hand. "Perfect. I was thinking-"

"No, I mean I chose a date," she told him, pleased at his astonished expression.

"You barely turned two pages, how could you choose a date that fast."

"It was easy." She pointed to the July calendar that had one Saturday empty. "July 17th"

Daniel's eyes were huge. "That's soon."

"Second thoughts," she teased, placing the book down on the bench beside her and turning into his arms.

"Not a chance. It's just… a strange coincidence that you chose that date."

Betty pressed a kiss to his jaw hiding a grin. "Really? Because I chose the same wedding date as Charles and Anna. Oh, for the record I do want to get married here, on what was once Meade land."

"Wait," Daniel said, trying to concentrate as she snuggled in closer. "This was supposed to be a… how did you figure this out?"

"Do you really think you get to have the upper hand in these surprises all the time? You went to the restroom and I called Hawkwell House to speak with Nancy. If took a little maneuvering but she finally filled in how Charles gave up his status and everything he had known to find Anna in Scotland where they were married in Gretna Green on July 17, 1890. They returned to Paris together and prior to the outbreak of World War I left for America." She toyed with a button on his jacket waiting for his reaction.

He lowered his head and chuckled. "I wasn't in the restroom. I was on the phone with my mom. She reluctantly told me about Charles and Anna's marriage as well, how the Meade lands were eventually sold and that on part of that land now stood a hotel that's renowned as a fantasy wedding locale."

"And here we are. I can't think of a better place to be wed than where Charles realized how much he loved Anna, deciding to leave everything behind to find her," Betty confessed. "There's a certain romantic appeal."

Daniel ran a hand down her hair. "If that's true we could get married in my apartment in New York."

"Not quite the same historical value," she chided.

"Perhaps, but are you sure? We don't have to be married here. Anywhere you want is fine."

"Here, to you. On July 17th with our families present," Betty confirmed, tugging his head down as he started to speak. She kissed him slowly enjoying the pressure of his lips against hers, the way his arms tightened around her, they way the subtleties of the kiss shifted as passion rose.

Daniel broke away. "Wow, if I'd have known setting a date would get this reaction I would have proposed it much sooner."

She giggled. "Not just setting a date, setting a date here," she corrected. "It's… coming full circle in a sense. You know that Charles Meade laid the groundwork for what would become Meade Publications, his wife helped of course, and later his children. Not a bad legacy to model ours after."

He rose drawing her with him. "Marriage first, then we can contemplate building our own empire, how's that."

"Just planning ahead," she replied easily. "So what now?"

"Now we go inside to officially book the date and talk details," he said, pausing before they came to front of the estate.

Betty frowned. "What is it?"

He bit his bottom lip before splitting into a smile, hugging her tight and spinning twice. "I can't believe your going to be my wife," he said lowering her down. "I know you agreed and everything but this just makes it feel…"

"Real," she supplied, still breathless from the twirling.

"Exactly. Real, incredible and perfect," he finished. He stared in her eyes watching the sparkle that danced in their depths, "I love you."

"I love you too and, for the record, you are my fairytale," she answered softly, letting her hands trail from his shoulder to rest against his chest. She smiled as he modestly ducked his head. "Let's go get the details of the date settled and then we can go back to Hawkwell House," she added.

"To celebrate," he asked with a slow, sultry expression that this time didn't make her blush but did raise her temperature a few notches.

Giggling she tugged him towards the front entrance. "No, to call your mom."

"Oh," he responded. "Right, call mom. Why exactly?"

"Because if she can plan a kidnapping in a day imagine what she can do for a wedding in 54 days!"

Daniel did and grinned... then frowned. "We're going to give her guidelines right?" She continued to the entrance without an answer, he caught up with her in time to open the door.

"Wait, we aren't going to give my mom free reign over this, are we?"

Betty stepped aside to let an older couple exit. "Daniel, don't worry. I'm sure your mom won't go too overboard."

"Yes, because renting a giant yacht was so understated," he replied dryly. He nodded politely as the couple passed.

She glanced over her shoulder as they entered. "Relax, it'll be amazing."

"If you say so," he answered, letting the door fall shut behind him.

The couple that had been leaving gazed lovingly at each other as the meandered to the end of the walk.

"Sound familiar," the man said.

The woman laughed. "Exactly like us 49 years ago."


End file.
